- The Moke Californian was inspired by a Sixties Mini-based beach special.
- It will be sold in the U.S. but is no highway cruiser with its 44 horsepower and 50-mph top speed.
- Prices start at $41,990.
Buyers looking for a retro-styled, British-inspired ultra-lightweight EV are now facing a tricky choice, with the announcement that a second all-electric Mini Moke is going to go on sale in the U.S. Meet the Moke Californian.
The original 1959 Mini was a masterpiece of minimalism, marketed in its U.K. homeland as having space for four adults despite an overall length of just 120 inches. But for its designer, Alec Issigonis, it wasn’t pared back enough. He also led development of what was essentially a bodyless version of the same mechanical package. The original concept was for a parachute-deployable troop transporter, but the British army turned down the chance to use what would undoubtedly have been the cutest military vehicle of all time, possibly to avoid the risk of being laughed at.
Instead what became known as the Mini Moke was marketed as a civilian vehicle, one aimed at the temperate parts of the world where its lack of doors and a roof would be less of an issue. (Fans of British sci-fi show The Prisoner would have seen candy-striped versions in the cult 1960s classic.) It was produced at various times in Britain, Australia, and Portugal, sharing its core mechanical package with the Mini sedan—meaning a transverse-mounted four-cylinder A-series engine with between 0.8 and 1.2 liters of swept capacity, and power outputs ranging from 34 to a dizzying 68 horsepower.
The original Moke was briefly sold in the States, but production of all versions ended in 1993. In 2012 Chinese automaker Chery acquired the name and started to produce a similar-looking car, although one that is considerably larger because of the need to accommodate modern engines and bulkier strut suspension. On the published numbers it is 11 inches longer, 14 inches wider, and sits on a wheelbase 10 inches bigger than the original. Around the world several companies have produced electric versions of this car, with one already being sold in the U.S. by Moke America.
The new Californian comes from a different company, Moke International, and will be built in the U.K.—although it is based on the same Chery design as the rival car, with all major dimensions being almost identical. The Moke Californian has a more powerful drivetrain and, thanks to the the much-delayed enactment of the Low Volume Motor Vehicle Manufacturers Act allowing the sale of replica vehicles, is set to be highway legal.
That’s highway legal rather than interstate viable. The Moke Californian uses a rear-mounted 44-hp motor to deliver a top speed of 50 mph. A lithium-ion battery pack gives a claimed range of up to 74 miles under Europes WLTP testing protocol, although one that it’s hard to imagine too many owners trying to achieve in one journey. Sales will be limited to no more than 325 cars a year in the U.S.—another provision of the Low Volume Act—with prices starting at $41,900.
That is close to double the $22,975 base price of Moke America’s version, although that one has only 19 hp and a 25-mph top speed, and its use is restricted to Neighborhood Electric Vehicle areas.
Pick either, and the Moke will be on you.
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Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
