With automakers scrambling to expand the range and performance of their electric vehicles, lost in the shuffle is that many folks just need something simple to run around town in and Moke America’s got an option for them.
Some car buffs will be familiar with the Moke as the gas version, which is still be produced outside the U.S., appeared in several James Bond movies in roles ranging from evil villain support vehicle to beach car Bond himself pulls up in.
However, the new model is all electric and is a city car in the truest sense: it’ll go about 40 miles on a full charge and currently has a top speed of about 25 mph, which clears it to drive on roads with a speed limit of 35 mph, although you’ll likely be followed by a group of people wanting to feed you to sharks.
Moke America CEO and founder Todd Rome brought back the Moke in 2016, with a few important changes. Not only is the open-air vehicle electric, but it’s bigger, sturdier and more modern that its predecessor. The new models come with options Bond wouldn’t see for decades, like a backup camera and Bluetooth radio.
Small but mighty, well, cute
A quick look at the Moke it looks a bit like a caricature of a Jeep Wrangler, but much smaller. The four-seater is just 131 inches long with a wheelbase of 89 inches, which makes it very simple to park. It uses AGM gel batteries that can be recharged in six to eight hours, according to Moke officials.
It uses a three-phase, AC asynchronous motor to get you to that top speed of 25 mph and if anyone thinks since it looks a little like a Jeep, maybe it can be off-roaded like a Jeep — no. Front-wheel drive only.
But for someone who lives in a small town and doesn’t want to pay current gas prices to go to the supermarket or run out for dinner, the Moke could be an option. In fact, there are currently more than 4,000 on the road in the U.S. right now, and the company claims $100 million sales since it was founded in 2016.
Those good revenue numbers are a result of a vehicle that while small and nimble ain’t cheap. Prices on the Moke start at just under $22K, but the upside is that buyers get a lot of control for that kind of money, including a choice of 12 exterior colors, plus a camouflage edition vehicle.
Bond fans delight
Fans of the world’s best-known spy can also have some fun as Mode offers two Bond-based special edition vehicles.
First is the 007 San Monique Edition, which takes its name from the fictional island featured in Live and Let Die in 1973. In the film, James Bond (Roger Moore) drives a white and blue Moke through the streets of San Monique. The limited edition 007 Moke has the same white and blue design for the Bimini top, wood steering wheel and unique “San Monique” artwork created for the movie. It’s priced at $27,975.
The other option is the 60 Years of Bond edition. Moke America’s latest collaboration with EON Productions and 007 is “a love letter to the James Bond film canon,” the company notes. The Moke has appeared in four 007 films: You Only Live Twice (1967), Live And Let Die (1973), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and Moonraker (1979).
This limited edition 007 Moke features a midnight blue exterior, “Mango Tree” wooden dashboard, sequence dots tire cover, wood steering wheel, wood gear shift knob, a tan Bimini top and more options. It comes in at $28,975.
