Moke International Returns To US With 44-HP, RWD Electric Moke Californian
Listen to this articleApproximately 40 years after it last sold vehicles in the United States, Moke International returns to the country with the new Electric Moke Californian. The low-speed vehicle is inspired by the original 1964 Mini Moke and is powered by a completely electric powertrain. The battery-powered machine is hand-built in the United Kingdom and its American version follows the Electric Moke for the European market, launched just recently on the Old Continent.
The Mini Moke ceased production in 1982 and was last sold in the United States four decades ago. Its modern-day successor is highway-legal and has a top speed of 50 miles per hour (80 kilometers per hour). With a full charge of the battery pack, the cute EV can cover up to 80 miles (120 km). Moke International says this range is enough to cruise Route 101 down to Malibu Beach from Santa Barbara.
Gallery: Moke International Electric Moke Californian
The zero-emissions low-speed vehicle is powered by a 44-horsepower (33-kilowatt) electric motor attached to the rear wheels. The acceleration from a standstill to 34 miles per hour (0-55 kilometers per hour) takes 4.3 seconds. The Electric Moke Californian weighs just 1,764 pounds (800 kilograms). A full charge of the lithium-ion battery takes just four hours at a Type 1 port.
The manufacturer says the modern Moke embodies the same qualities and characteristics as the original LSV. Moke International describes these virtues as “fun, freedom, fresh air” but in this new version, they are combined with the joy of driving a purely electric machine. The new model retains the original Moke Californian’s youthful and funky design language. Its predecessor was available in the United States between 1977 and 1982.
Originally designed as a light military vehicle that could be parachuted into warzones, the Mini Moke was sold in the United Kingdom as a utility wagon for farmers and workers. Its popularity quickly expanded beyond the UK to France and Australia and eventually made it possible for a more modernized version to be sold in the US in the late 1970s.
Moke International will release more details, including availability and pricing, in the coming weeks. The manufacturer proudly says it’s now the first 1960s automaker to go fully electric.
Keyword: Moke International Returns To US With 44-HP, RWD Electric Moke Californian