Moke Returns to U.S. with Highway-Legal EV for Anyone After a Terrifying Commute

A photo of a Moke Californian EV on a cliff.

Don’t you Moke me come up there! Photo: Moke

Are you waiting for the perfect car to come along before making the switch to EVs? Well I’ve got good news for you as British automaker Moke International is finally returning to the U.S. with a fully highway-legal electric golf cart/off-roader/buggy/thing.

For anyone not in the know, the Moke is a cutesy little buggy that first went into production in the 1960s. The car earned a raft of famous fans, including The Beatles, and even earned itself a cameo in countless James Bond movies.

The Moke was last sold in the U.S. way back in 1982, when the company offered a special edition for the States called the Moke Californian. Now, the British company is bringing the Moke Californian back as a highway-legal EV for American buyers.

A photo of the Moke badge on the front of an EV>

Let’s get an orange Moke frappuccino refresherPhoto: Moke

The Electric Moke Californian is built in the United Kingdom with the same iconic design as the original. Under the hood, it packs in a 44-hp electric motor and a battery pack that’s rated for up to 80 miles on a single charge. According to Moke, it takes roughly four hours to charge the Moke Californian on a type one port.

G/O Media may get a commission

41% Off

Bosch Brushless Drill/Driver Kit

Drill it, drive it
Comes with a powerful hammer drill/driver that uses a brushless motor to deliver a great runtime and excellent power in the face of tough materials, it has a lot of settings, a precision clutch, and an all-metal chuck for enhanced durability and longevity.

The Moke Californian also weighs less than 1,700 pounds, which is roughly a quarter that of America’s best-selling car, the Ford F-150. Thanks to that light weight, the Moke Californian comes with a top speed of 50mph and will manage zero to 34mph in 4.3 seconds.

A photo of the speedometer on a Moke EV.

This speedometer seems ambitious. Photo: Moke

But the Moke Californian isn’t about performance, it’s about feeling the summer breeze in your hair! And, because this is the first highway-legal version of the original Mini Moke to be sold in America, that’s something you’ll be able to do on even more adventures.

A run to the shops or down to the beach is doable in your all-electric Moke, as is a short, but undoubtedly terrifying jaunt on the highways. Imagine pulling up alongside a regular SUV or pickup on the roads of America? There, your head would probably be below the mirrors of the other traffic on the road.