Disneyland announces Autopia will be all-electric within the next 30 months (Updated)
Disney’s Autopia ride has been making headlines recently, after a park spokesperson told the LA Times that the park was considering ditching gas engines soon. But activists put the pressure on to ensure that Disney goes all-EV with the ride, and fast.
Late Thursday, those activists got their wish, and Disney announced that it would go all-electric with the ride within the next 30 months.
At first, Disney’s statement sounded a little noncommittal and open – they didn’t state a specific timeline, nor specify that the ride would be all-electric. So activists wanted to ensure that both of these things happened.
And late Thursday, Disney spokesperson Jessica Good told the LA Times that electrification “means fully electric — it does not mean hybrid or any other version of a gasoline combustion engine,” and that the park “will no longer be using the current engines within the next 30 months.”
Autopia is a classic ride in Disneyland’s “Tomorrowland” area, but given the EV world we’re living in, its current stinky gas-powered cars certainly don’t seem too futuristic.
The emissions from these engines cause smog and harm the health of those who breathe them – so putting them directly in front of small children isn’t the best idea. But the ride was sponsored by Chevron from 1998-2012, and that company is pretty dedicated to poisoning small children anyway, so it was apt.
Thankfully, in 2012, Disney attracted a new sponsor, Honda, and in 2016, Honda upgraded the engines for greater efficiency. However, the cars still create plenty of exhaust noise and smell, which is still poisonous to the children riding behind these polluting engines. It’s also poisonous to employees, to the point where Disney pays hazard pay to employees who are assigned to staff the ride.
2016 was also notably after EVs had proven themselves in the automotive realm. So upgrading to an old technology seems a little inappropriate for “Tomorrowland.” But Honda themselves have been behind the ball on the EV transition as well.
Tomorrowland is the section within Disneyland which was meant to show visions of the future. It first opened in 1955, and offers a time capsule of what a 1950s vision of the future might have looked like.
Needless to say, in the seven decades hence, things have changed somewhat. To the point where the original designer of the Autopia cars, Bob Gurr, who is now 92 and was interviewed by the LA Times, said “get rid of those God-awful gasoline fumes.”
It’s certainly ironic that in California, where EVs keep setting sales records and where you can’t even buy gas-powered “small off-road engines” anymore, a Disneyland parkgoer might drive to the park in a clean EV, only to show their children a vision of the past with a poisonous, low-performing gas engine on one of the admittedly more-fun rides in the park. Just imagine how much more fun the ride will be when it goes electric.
And Disney could do a lot more to update Tomorrowland with actual visions of the future, rather than an old-timey time capsule. The original Tomorrowland featured a “Carousel of Progress” show of futuristic efficient home appliances, and the Monorail and PeopleMover which both still exist. Disney could showcase more public transport or other post-car mobility options, ideas for futuristic city planning, induction cooktops and more.
But for now, making Autopia electric seems like a great first step.
To this end, local EV advocates and Plug In America are hosting a rally to celebrate Disney’s decision this Sunday, April 21 at 10am at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. Not a bad way to spend Earth Day weekend, perhaps after attending one of the LA-area Drive Electric Earth Month events the day before (and one of the founders of Drive Electric Week, Zan Dubin-Scott, is organizing the Burbank rally). The rally was originally planned to put pressure on Disney to go all-EV, but in light of yesterday’s announcement, it has now turned into a celebration.
This article is updated from a previous version of the article which described the pressure being put on Disney to go all-electric. Not long after that article was posted, Disney clarified that it’s planning to go all-EV.
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Ford’s “From America, For America” deal, offering employee pricing for all, is helping drive sales. But, with Trump’s new tariffs, how long will the savings last?
A handshake with every American
The campaign was introduced a little over a month ago, but CEO Jim Farley said it’s already giving the company a lift.
Ford launched the “From America, For America” campaign on April 3, promoting its “American-made” vehicles with some serious savings opportunities.
The offer includes employee pricing across most 2024 and 2025 Ford and Lincoln models. According to Ford, it’s a “handshake deal with every American.”
Ford is offering savings across all powertrains, including gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and electric vehicles. The only models excluded are Raptors, specialty Mustang and Bronco vehicles, the 2025 Expedition, Navigator, and Super Duty Trucks.
After seeing early success, the company extended the offer through the Fourth of July. Farley said the company has sold over 150,000 vehicles with employee pricing since April.
Customers are appreciating @Ford’s ‘From America, For America’ offer. We’ve sold 150,000+ vehicles w/ employee pricing since April. Grateful for our dealers and glad to be offering a good deal to our customers!
— Jim Farley (@jimfarley98) May 10, 2025
How long does Ford’s employee pricing offer last?
Like most of the auto industry, Ford is bracing for the impact of Trump’s new auto tariffs. However, it may be in a better position than other major automakers.
Since Ford builds a greater percentage of its vehicles in the US than any other major OEM, outside of Tesla, it isn’t expected to take as big of a hit.
After releasing first-quarter earnings last week, Ford warned that Trump’s tariffs could cost the company up to $2.5 billion in 2025. Crosstown rival GM estimated the extra tariffs could add an extra $4 billion to $5 billion in costs this year.
Ford made around 2 million vehicles in the US last year, according to S&P Global Mobility. With another 391,000 built in Mexico and 54,000 in Canada, Ford imported around 21% of its vehicles sold in the US. GM, on the other hand, imports around 46%.
Last week, a spokesperson confirmed with Electrek that Ford will raise prices on vehicles built in Mexico, including the Mustang Mach-E, Maverick pickup, and Bronco Sport.
The move is part of Ford’s “usual mid-year pricing actions combined with some tariffs we are facing,” the spokesperson told Electrek.
It will not impact vehicle prices at the dealership or in transit. The higher prices will affect imported cars from May 2, which are expected to arrive at dealerships in late June. By how much? Although full prices were not revealed, the spokesperson said the Bronco Sport Heritage saw a $600 increase, while the Maverick XLT AWD’s price increased by $700.
Ford’s employee pricing is still available on these vehicles through July 4. For EV buyers, Ford is offering a few extra savings opportunities.
Through its “Power Promise,” Ford is offering a free Level 2 home charger on any new EV lease or purchase. The company is sweetening the deal with some extra perks, including 24/7 live EV support, proactive roadside assistance, and an 8-year, 100,000-mile battery warranty.
Looking to score some savings while they are still here? We’ve got you covered. You can use our links below to find deals on new Ford F-150 Lightning and Mustang Mach-E models in your area.
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The bitcoin mining company backed by President Donald Trump‘s sons, Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr., is set to go public on the Nasdaq through an all-stock merger with Gryphon Digital Mining.
Shares of Gryphon were up more than 300% Monday.
The combined company, American Bitcoin, will trade under the ticker symbol “ABTC,” with the transaction expected to close as early as the third quarter of 2025.
Existing stockholders of American Bitcoin, including the president’s two eldest sons, will own about 98% of the new entity.
It is the latest high-profile move from the Trump family’s growing crypto empire, which already includes the controversial $TRUMP meme coin that is offering a private dinner with the president to top holders of the coin.
Eric Trump, who is a co-founder and chief strategy officer of the mining firm, framed the move as part of a broader strategy to cement the country’s leadership in the global bitcoin mining race.
“Every single sophisticated country is using their excess power to mine bitcoin,” Trump previously told CNBC.
He distanced himself from any direct involvement with his father’s administration but made clear his belief that the U.S. must maintain a competitive edge in the crypto sector.
“We won the space race. We better win the crypto race,” he said.
On the campaign trail, the president repeatedly promised to support U.S.-based bitcoin miners, including telling executives at a closed-door event in Mar-a-Lago that he wants all future bitcoin should be minted on American soil.
The crypto market showed little reaction. Bitcoin is trading at around $104,000, roughly flat over the past 24 hours.
Environment
E-Dolphin looks to redefine the marine industry with its 58 mph all-electric S300 watercraft
A young marine electrification specialist called E-Dolphin is… making waves… with its flagship product – a 160-horsepower electric watercraft called the S300. Aside from a futuristic design with 90s-style neon green speckled flair, this vessel supports DC fast charging and can reach speeds over 55 mph.
E-Dolphin evolved from a sobering moment for its founder, Nicolas Florès, who grew up on the southern coast of France and realized that local dolphins were being exposed to pollutants (fuel, exhaust, and noise) expelled from traditional combustion watercraft.
In 2018, Florès took his knowledge from working in the EV industry and initiated an intensive R&D phase to electrify personal watercraft. This entailed creating an entirely custom powertrain system, including batteries and specialized motors.
After several prototype builds, E-Dolphin patented its first powertrain in 2020. That technology was implemented in the company’s first market-ready electric watercraft, the S300. The company has begun taking pre-orders for the personal watercraft before deliveries start later this year.
You can pre-order the S300 electric watercraft now
As you can see from the images above, E-Dolphin’s S300 electric watercraft blends sleek, modern styling with nostalgic flair, reminiscent of its Kawasaki and Yamaha predecessors from the 80s and 90s. While its neon spots might nod to the past, everything else in this vessel is highly modern.
The electric watercraft features a lightweight carbon fiber hull and an ergonomic seat for two. E-Dolphin also boasts that its vessels have an average lifespan double that of traditional personal watercraft. At the core of its performance (literally and figuratively) sits E-Dolphin’s proprietary powertrain, which delivers 160 horsepower and a top speed of 50 knots (57.5 mph).
The front features a 50-liter storage compartment below its handlebars, which features a full-color HD screen riders can use to monitor their speed, battery life, and navigation in real time. E-Dolphin is not sharing the chemistry of the 30 kWh battery pack in its electric watercraft but says it can navigate the waters for up to two hours on a single charge.
Another impressive feature is that the S300 electric watercraft supports CCS DC fast charging and can be replenished in under 30 minutes, making it easier to get back out to rip some aquatic donuts.
- Standard charging : 8 hours with monophase (220V)
- Fast charging : 2 hour 30 mins with monophase AC (220V) & Type 2
- Ultra Fast Charging : less than 30 mins with triphase DC (380V) & CCS
E-Dolphin has begun pre-orders for its S300, available with a €1,000 ($1,112) deposit. The entire electric watercraft costs €39,990 plus VAT ($44,500), and E-Dolphin plans 50 initial builds. Each early purchase comes with a lifetime warranty on the S300 electric watercraft.
After that, E-Dolphin targets scaled production to approximately 1,000 units per year in the next five years, with plans to expand availability to North America and Asia after European deliveries are steady.
First deliveries are expected to begin in Europe during Q3 of 2025.
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