One of Disney’s longest-running attractions is ditching fossil fuels

For decades, visitors to Disney s Autopia ride in Anaheim, California, have experienced a taste of the open road, navigating the curves and slopes of...

For decades, visitors to Disney’s Autopia ride in Anaheim, California, have experienced a taste of the open road, navigating the curves and slopes of a winding miniature motorway in cars with real working gas pedals and steering wheels.

But now the enduring attraction is getting a planet-friendly upgrade: This week, Disney said it will phase out cars powered by pure gasoline engines.

The announcement, which was first reported by the Los Angeles Times, comes as the park is taking steps to decarbonize as part of an effort to reach a goal of net-zero emissions by 2030. The statement did not specify details about a timeline for electrifying Autopia and whether the new vehicles will be fully electric or hybrid. 

On Wednesday, Disney CEO Bob Iger defeated activist investors vying for seats on the company’s board. One of them, billionaire Nelson Peltz, had criticized the company for being too "woke.”

"As the industry moves toward alternative fuel sources, we have developed a road map to electrify this attraction and are evaluating technology that will enable us to convert from gas engines in the next few years,” Disney spokesperson Jessica Good said in a statement.