Reborn Mini Moke goes all-electric

Moke International has announced that it will drop internal combustion power for its revived Moke and relaunch its cool military-styled open-air city car with pure-electric power from January 2022.

Announcing that first deliveries would begin in the third quarter of 2022, the British manufacturer said pricing for the retro reboot of the lightweight vehicle originally created for the military kicks off at £29,150 ($A54,000) – a significant bump up from the £20,000 ($A37,000) charged for the current 1.1-litre petrol version.

For that money, Moke International has switched to an aluminium body to offset the weight of the batteries. There's also beefier brakes and upgraded suspension and chassis components.

Bigger all around than the 1964 original for more cabin space, total weight for the electric Moke is claimed to be 800kg.

Driving the little skeletal Mini is a small 33kW electric motor, and lack of power is reflected in the performance. Instead of a 0-100km/h time, the UK firm quotes 0-55km/h acceleration of 4.5 seconds and claims the little Moke can just about top 100km/h.

There's no word on battery size, but Moke International says the vehicle can cover up to 144km between recharges.

New tech introduced with the electric Moke includes regenerative braking, power steering, a heated windscreen and more safety kit, although the latter has not been disclosed.

Already a hit in Caribbean markets, Moke International has already declared that as part of an international expansion the brand wants to reintroduce the retro beach buggy Down Under.

Originally manufactured in Australia from 1966 to 1981, the Aussie-made Leyland Moke Californian remains highly sought-after by collectors, not least because it came with the bigger, more powerful 1275cc A-Series engine.

There's no word yet how Moke International will be able to bypass Australia's strict ADR and safety requirements. The "new safety aids" coming could hint at the introduction of a full suite of airbags, although it's unlikely.

First revived back in 2017, it was recently announced that production of the reborn Moke had been moved back to the UK from France.