The Moke Californian is an official revival of a 1960s classic
Break out the Union Jack bandana and head for the beach. The official Mini Moke is returning to the United States for the first time in four decades. The new Moke Californian will be highway-legal in the States for the first time, offering a decent range and all the open-air charm of its predecessor. Pricing and release date details will be released at a later date.
The Moke started as a Mini model with the British Army in the 1950s and caught on with pop culture icons as a popular beachside runabout. Now, Moke International owns the rights to the vehicle and is selling it in several countries. The original cars had gas engines and a funky Jeep-but-not-a-Jeep shape. Moke’s new Californian retains that look but gets a fully electric powertrain with a 44-horsepower electric motor.
The new Moke Californian offers a range of 80 miles and can reach a top speed of 50 mph. Since it can’t do 60 mph, Moke claims a 0-34 mph (55kph) in 4.3 seconds. Charging the Californian takes four hours using 120V Level 1 charging. Remember that Moke isn’t marketing this as a commuter and instead plays up its beach-town runabout credentials. Still, the Californian has enough range to cruise from Santa Barbara to Malibu beach, according to Moke International.
Moke builds the Californian in its U.K. factory and says that the version coming to the States is the same as the one sold in Europe under a different name. It’s the first time in more than 40 years that a Mini Moke is sold in the United States after the first Moke Californian ended production in 1982.
It’s important to note that the Moke we’re talking about here differs from the low-speed vehicles sold in the U.S. under the Moke America name. Moke International holds the rights to the name and the car and is pursuing Moke America in court to resolve the dispute. Moke America’s vehicle tops out at 25 mph and has other key differences.
