The Moke has never solved a problem that could not be tackled more cheaply with a small hatchback and a decent raincoat. That is precisely why it matters. Cars have become so busy justifying themselves with efficiency charts, safety acronyms and touchscreen acreage that an open-sided electric beach buggy feels almost rebellious. Now the Electric Moke Mk2 has arrived to make this gloriously unnecessary machine rather more usable.
Revealed at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, the second-generation electric Moke looks much as you would hope: like somebody removed every heavy thought from a car and left only the outline. The real changes hide beneath that familiar toy-box shape. Range has grown, charging has improved and there is finally somewhere secure to put the things you would prefer not to donate to passing opportunists.
More range, same cheerful nonsense
The headline figure is an official WLTP range of up to 105 miles from the higher-capacity battery. That remains modest beside an ordinary electric car, but judging a Moke by motorway range is like criticising a deckchair for poor lumbar support. Its natural habitat is the coast, the resort and the sunny Sunday trundle where arriving with your hair rearranged is part of the entertainment.
Crucially, 105 miles gives the Mk2 breathing room. The outgoing idea of an electric beach car was charming until every spontaneous detour became a battery calculation. This one should let owners wander farther without turning lunch into a hunt for a socket. Moke also cites up to 115 miles in its own city and coastal testing, although that is not the official comparison figure and real range will vary with weather, load, route and driving style.
Power comes from a 33kW motor, roughly 44hp, and the top speed is 50mph. Nobody will be troubling an Alpine with it, but that misses the appeal. A Moke should feel brisk enough to join the day, not powerful enough to frighten it. The company says the revised layout improves weight distribution and handling; more interesting than the claim itself is the intent. Fun at sensible speeds is a rare and increasingly precious brief.
Charging without the coffee-shop expedition
The 6.6kW onboard charger can take the battery from 20 to 80 per cent in a quoted two hours when conditions and supply cooperate. There is no promise of a dramatic rapid-charge curve, nor does there need to be. Moke says a full charge from a standard 3.2kW UK or European domestic supply takes about seven hours, which suits a car likely to spend the night beside a villa, hotel or beach house rather better than a motorway services bay.
The charging port has moved to the rear, a small change that should make parking near a socket less of a cable-twisting puzzle. There is also an 86-litre lockable compartment at the front. That may be the Mk2’s cleverest improvement. Open-air freedom is delightful; open-air luggage is merely theft with a sea view.
A £30,000 question with no sensible answer
European pricing starts at €35,000 before local taxes and incentives, with availability to buy, rent or test-drive in several markets. A UK price has not been announced. Whatever the conversion eventually produces, this will not be a value champion. For similar money, buyers can find proper roofs, greater range and the reassuring presence of doors. The Moke counters with rear cup holders, wider footwells, USB-C ports and a rotary drive selector, which is rather like answering a mortgage adviser with a postcard from Saint-Tropez.
That extravagance is easier to forgive because the Mk2 is built in Warwickshire and refuses to disguise what it is. The colour list alone understands the assignment: Sunlight Yellow, Sunset Orange, Laguna Blue and Sonoma Red sit beside calmer shades for buyers who somehow want their roofless beach buggy to whisper.
The point is that it has no point
The Electric Moke Mk2 is expensive, exposed to the weather and slower than nearly everything wearing number plates. Excellent. Its upgrade does not turn it into a rational family car; it simply removes enough inconvenience to let the silliness shine.
That is a better use of electrification than forcing another swollen SUV to boast about instant torque. A quiet motor, simple controls, modest speed and open air belong together. The Mk2 remains a luxury toy, but it is an honest one, and the car world could use more machines that make you grin before they start explaining themselves.
Sources
- Auto Express: Electric Moke Mk2 report, 12 October 2026
- Moke International: Electric Moke Mk2 launch announcement
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