Break out the Union Jack bandana and hit the beach. The official Mini Moke is returning to the US for the first time in four decades. The new Moke Californian will be road-legal in the States for the first time, offering decent range and all the open-air charm of its predecessor. Pricing and release date details will be announced at a later date.

The Moke started out as a Mini in the British Army in the 1950s and became popular among pop culture icons as a popular beach subcompact. Moke International now owns the rights to the car and sells it in several countries. The original cars had gas engines and a funky Jeep shape, but not a Jeep. The new Californian from Moke kept that look, but got an all-electric transmission with a 44-horsepower electric motor.

The new Moke Californian provides a range of 80 miles and can reach a top speed of 50 miles per hour. Because it can’t hit 60 mph, Moke claims a 0-34 mph (55 km/h) time of 4.3 seconds. Charging the Californian takes four hours using a 120V Level 1 charger. Remember, the Moke isn’t pitching this as a commuter, but instead showing off its beach-town subcompact credentials. However, the Californian has enough range to cruise from Santa Barbara Malibu beach, according to Moke International.

Moke builds the Californian at its UK plant and says the version coming to the States is the same as the one sold in Europe under a different name. This is the first case in more than 40 years when a Mini Mok sold in the United States after the first Moke Californian ceased production in 1982.

It’s important to note that the Moke we’re talking about here is different from the low-speed cars sold in the US under the Moke America name. Moke International owns the rights to the name and car and is pursuing Moke America in court to resolve the dispute. Moke America car reaches a top speed of 25 mph and has other key differences.

https://www.autoblog.com/2022/10/17/moke-californian-revival/