The Moke was a product of the early 1960s and also designed by the ‘father’ of the Mini, Sir Alec Issigonis. Though it was called ‘Mini Moke’ (‘moke’ being an ancient term for ‘donkey’), it was not considered part of the Mini range and was originally intended for military use. However, while it was easy to transport in aircraft, it was not really suitable for rugged terrain with its small wheels and low ground clearance.
The British Motor Corporation then marketed as a civilian product, and like the Mini, it found fans who saw it as a sort of counterculture machine, like the American dune buggy. It was popular transport for the inhabitants of the most exclusive coastal resorts in Europe, the Caribbean, USA and Asia. Many are still in use up till today at seaside resort and recreational facilities.
Some 50,000 units were produced at factories in the UK (1964 – 1968), Australia (1966 – 1981) and Portugal (1980 – 1993). The final production in Portugal was done by Cagiva, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer, which had acquired the ‘MOKE’ name. Some companies in China manufactured imitations over the years as well.
25 years on, the MOKE was reborn in 2018, after a company called MOKE International acquired rights to the name in 2015. The iconic design was maintained while a new modern powertrain was installed along with uprated suspension and braking.
This year, MOKE International has decided to stop production of combustion engined powertrains and go all-electric. It is the first automotive brand from the 1960s to go 100% electric, with the intention to sell in volume in contrast to the conversion (to electric powertrains) of classic models done by some companies.
To have the necessary technology to electrify the MOKE, the company has sold 67.6% of its share to , EV Technology Group, a relatively young Canadian company which is focussed on developing and commercializing EV technologies. One strategy is to tie up with brands that want to electrify their products, hence the acquisition of MOKE International which may eventually become a fully-owned subsidiary.
Development of the electric MOKE has been quite quick and customers in Europe have been receiving their vehicles over the past few months. Now the model will also be exported from its production base in the UK to the USA where it will be known as the MOKE Californian (a reference to a version sold in 1977). It will be the first time the brand is officially in America after 40 years.
The modern MOKE has upgrades to make it meet today’s emission and safety standards, with some additional changes to make it road-legal in America as well. Like the original model, the mechanicals – or rather electrics – are simple, with a 33 kW/130 Nm electric motor driving the front wheels. Though it looks fairly basic, it still weighs 1,100 kgs due to the 33 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
The motor provides a top speed of up to 80 km/h and a range of 120 kms is claimed before recharging is needed. With the onboard charger, the time required is said to be 4 hours.
Because its design is basically open and it is intended more for recreation, it does not come with a lot of equipment but it does have seatbelts, waterproof seats, USB ports, a stereo system and a roll-bar. A reverse camera is also included though it would not seem necessary with such a vehicle.
The MOKE Californian is priced from US$22,975 (about RM109,000) and while aftersales support is available through appointed dealers, the warranty is only for 6 months.
