The not-long-revived Mini Moke will become an electric-only model from the start of next year and the company behind the car is claiming it’s the first heritage brand to go fully electric.
Order books for the new EV are open now, with prices starting from £29,150 before taxes are applied in the UK, which amounts to circa AUD$60,000. Customers have until 1 January 2022 to place the final orders for the combustion-engined version.
The electric Moke is available in right- and left-hand drive and power is sent to the rear wheels by a 33kW motor. As the vehicle weighs only 800kg, that’s enough for 0-55km/h) in 4.5sec and a top speed of 100km/h.
The size of the battery hasn’t been disclosed, but the Moke delivers 143 kilometres of range – enough, the company says, for five trips between Cap-Ferrat and Monaco. Charging takes four hours through the car’s Type 2 charging port.
The Moke measures 3225mm long by 1660mm wide, with a height of 1546mm. Ground clearance is given as 18cm.
“Moke going electric secures the appeal of one of Britain’s best-loved marques for many generations to come,” said Moke International CEO Isobel Dando, a former product lead at Rolls-Royce. “Moke’s marriage of fun, personality and open-air thrills will only be enhanced through the performance and silent running of an electric powertrain. We are proud to write a new chapter in one of British automotive folklore’s best love stories.”
The electric Moke will be built “at a state-of-the-art facility” in the UK operated by the Northamptonshire-based Fablink Group. Moke International says it has half a million square feet of production space at its disposal, employing around 700 people across six UK sites.
The brand was revived in 2017, with the success of various special editions leading to investment that, the firm says, has secured its long-term future.
The company also says it was able to commit to the UK as its manufacturing base thanks to a government grant from the Niche Vehicle Network, as well as the post-Brexit trade deal that “allows UK automotive businesses tariff-free access to EU markets, based on defined rules of origin”.
As such, all of the car’s battery cells, motors and inverters will be sourced from “tier one European suppliers”.
The first deliveries of the electric Moke are expected to take place in the summer of 2022. Customers will be able to personalise their cars “to their exact tastes and sensibilities”, with power steering, regenerative braking and heated windscreens all included as standard.
Joe Holding