Disneyland has announced that Autopia’s gas cars will be replaced with an electric counterpart.

The Tomorrowland ride, which sees guests board a vehicle for a self-driven journey around a highway-style track, is a classic attraction that debuted when the park first opened in 1955.

In a conversation with the LA Times, Disney confirmed that the gasoline-powered vehicles would finally be brought into the modern world with a clean energy makeover.

Tomorrowland or Yesteryear?

This announcement follows years of debate surrounding the use of these gas vehicles, with several local climate activists and Disney fans taking to social media to demand an update. Even Bob Gurr, the Disney Imagineer who originally designed the Autopia attraction, has previously called for them to be replaced with a more modern equivalent.

In an email to The Times, Disney spokesperson Jessica Good said the following: 

“Since opening with Disneyland park in 1955, Autopia has remained a guest-favorite most popular with young kids experiencing driving for the first time… As the industry moves toward alternative fuel sources, we have developed a roadmap to electrify this attraction and are evaluating technology that will enable us to convert from gas engines in the next few years.”

As technology has advanced in the last couple of decades, Tomorrowland has been feeling a little more like Yesteryear with its out-of-date inventions. However, this new change is a positive step in the right direction for Disneyland and we expect Walt Disney World’s Tomorrowland Speedway to soon follow suit.

The official timeline for this revamp is yet to be announced, though Disney stated that the combustion engine gas-powered cars would be replaced in the next few years. It's believed that this will be in 2026, when the attraction's Honda sponsorship runs out.