Removal of OneDrive

Unfortunately, AutoSave in Office apps only works with files stored on OneDrive or SharePoint. If the file is stored locally, AutoSave will be grayed out or prompt you to save it to OneDrive.
So to answer that directly:

No, you cannot use AutoSave without saving to the cloud.

NEVERTHELESS, as already mentioned by the other user here…

You can still rely on AutoRecover, which saves a backup every X minutes (usually 10 by default), even without OneDrive. It works fine with locally saved files. AutoRecover is your best friend if you're staying local. Make sure it's turned on in:

File > Options > Save

Check “Save AutoRecover information every X minutes”

Keep using Ctrl+S to manually save. Old-school, but bulletproof.

If you've already uninstalled OneDrive and “Remove service” isn’t showing, try this extra cleanup:

Remove OneDrive Account from Windows Settings

Even if OneDrive is uninstalled, the account association can linger.

• Go to Settings > Accounts > Email & accounts
• Under Accounts used by other apps, remove OneDrive - Personal if it's listed.

Clear Excel's Recently Used Locations

Excel might still remember cloud locations even if the account is gone.

In Excel: File > Open

Right-click on OneDrive - Personal if it's still listed

Select "Remove from list".

Turn Off “Connected Experiences” in Office

• Open any Office app (Excel)
• Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings
• Click Privacy Options
• Uncheck:

• “Enable Connected Experiences”
• “Allow Office to connect to the Internet”

This helps cut off any lingering cloud hooks.

My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

Hope this will help you.