Weird Alibaba: A fun little electric jeep-like Chinese knock-off that I need in my life
I’m not sure I’ve ever wanted a vehicle more than the latest entry in the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column. That’s because this week we’re checking out a Chinese knock-off of an iconic little open-air buggy: the Mini Moke!
It may be small, but this 100 km/h (62 mph) fun-mobile would be a blast around the city or cruising to the beach.
Just a little background to get us started: The Mini Moke is a quirky and iconic vehicle with an interesting history dating back to the late 1950s. The British-made Moke was initially intended for military use as a lightweight, air-transportable utility vehicle.
However, it should come as no surprise that its small wheels and low ground clearance made it, well, less than effective for rough terrain. The British Army ultimately rejected the design. But after its military discharge, the Mini Moke found a new life as a civilian vehicle.
The fun little jeep-like runabout’s minimalist design with a simple open-top body, a small engine, and basic components shared with the classic Mini (created by the same designer) made it an affordable and popular choice for consumers in beach areas.
Over the years, the Mini Moke became synonymous with sun-soaked beach vacations and carefree driving. It has been produced around the world under various licenses, with its popularity peaking in the 80’s and 90’s followed by a steady decline ever since.
Lately though we’ve seen a resurgence of interest in Mokes, especially electric versions that don’t require the same level of maintenance as a small-engine classic Moke. There’s currently a trademark dispute raging between two manufacturers, the British company MOKE International (who claims to be the rightful owner of the original Moke trademark), and MOKE America, a Florida-based company who also produces Moke-style EVs.
Apparently China has seen these other countries trying to horn in on its intellectual property infringement shtick and said “hold my baijiu!” while they worked up their own Moke electric vehicle. And that’s what we see before us today, a Chinese Moke in all its tiny-wheeled glory.
But here’s the thing. Believe it or not, I think the Chinese might have done it even better. You see, the US version of the Moke is a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) that is limited to 25 mph (40 km/h). The British version hits twice that speed at 50 mph (80 km/h). But this Chinese version gets up to a whopping 62 mph (100 km/h)!
To be fair, that 62 mph is listed as the vehicle’s “max speed”, and there’s another “economical speed” listed at 31 mph (50 km/h). I’m not sure exactly what that means, but I assume they’re saying that while it can reach highway speeds, don’t be surprised if the batteries drain quicker than a lace bucket.
It’s unclear what the true range is, but the vehicle has a 21 kWh li-ion battery, so a city range of well over 100 miles (160 km) sounds within reason. To put that into perspective, the first generation Nissan Leaf came with a 24 kWh battery and had a city range of around 100 miles on a much heavier vehicle.
Speaking of which, this Chinese Moke weighs just 765 kg (1,686 lb). And it’s a four-seater with four-wheel-drive thanks to a pair of 10 kW motors. All told, that’s 20 kW or 27 hp, which isn’t bad for a small vehicle like this.
The only kicker is the price. At US $12,000 a pop, these are not cheap little EVs. You could get a street legal electric microcar in the US for that price, which brings up another point. These Chinese Mokes are certainly not street legal, so you’d be limited to cruising around off-road – which is the very use that the British army rejected them for so many decades ago. Though the nice gentleman with the robotic voice in the marketing video below seems to think they’d be legal in Europe.
Hmmm, I might just have to sit this one out, which is a bummer since an electric Moke would be an awesome vehicle.
Oh well, maybe I’ll find something more in my budget next week!
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Climate XChange’s 9th Annual EV Raffle is your chance to win the electric car of your dreams – from Rivian to Tesla to Porsche and more!
But don’t wait, because there are only 5,000 tickets available!
Imagine getting to custom order your perfect EV, with every detail just the way you want it, up to $120,000, and with all taxes covered. That’s what the Grand Prize Winner gets to do – and you could be that winner.
How it works
Enter at CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek. Every ticket you buy is one entry to win. Climate XChange is only selling 5,000 tickets, which means your odds are better here than most internet sweepstakes! Plus, you can feel good knowing your ticket supports an amazing cause: pushing for state-level climate action and advancing the transition to a zero-emissions economy.
The prizes
- Grand Prize: Custom-built EV of your choice, valued up to $120,000, with all taxes covered.
- 2nd Place: $12,500 cash.
- 3rd Place: $7,500 cash.
- Early Bird Prize: Buy your ticket before December 31, 2024, and you’ll also be entered to win $10,000 on January 3, 2025.
That’s two drawings for the price of one ticket – and four chances to win big!
Why enter?
Climate XChange has been making dreams come true for nearly a decade. Last year’s winner drove off in a custom red Tesla Model X Plaid, and you could be next! Climate XChange takes fairness seriously: It prints every raffle ticket stub and live-streams the entire drawing process, ensuring transparency. Independent auditors oversee everything, so you know the drawing is legit.
Who is Climate XChange?
Climate XChange (CXC) is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to help states transition to a zero-emissions economy. It advances state climate policy through its State Climate Policy Network, connecting over 15,000 advocates and policymakers, and through its State Climate Policy Dashboard, a leading data platform for tracking climate action across the US.
Get your ticket today
Visit CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek to grab your ticket. Limited tickets are available – remember, Climate XChange is only selling 5,000 tickets – so don’t miss your shot at an electric future!
Climate XChange EV Raffle rules summary
- Must be 18 or older to enter.
- Tickets are available at CarbonRaffle.org/Electrek.
- Only 5,000 tickets will be sold.
- Early Bird Drawing on January 3, 2025.
- Grand Prize Drawing on February 28, 2025.
All proceeds support Climate XChange’s work to push for ambitious climate policy – so even if you don’t win, you’re still making a difference.
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China just connected its largest single-capacity solar farm built on a former coal mining area, which is in the Gobi Desert, to the grid.
The Mengxi Blue Ocean Photovoltaic Power Station, located in Otog Front Banner, Ordos, Inner Mongolia, came online on November 5. With a massive installed capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW) and over 5.9 million solar panels, the plant will generate around 5.7 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – enough to power 2 million households.
This huge project will save about 1.71 million tons of standard coal each year and cut carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 4.7 million tons, which is equivalent to planting 62,700 hectares (around 155,000 acres) of trees.
Built on coal mining subsidence land, Mengxi Blue Ocean is part of China’s national West-East Electricity Transfer Project, which brings investment and development to western China west while supplying the growing need for electricity in the eastern provinces.
The solar farm includes the country’s first large-scale outdoor solar testing base in the Gobi Desert climate, demonstrating the potential for large solar installations in challenging environments.
The power station makes use of new rare earth alloy grounding materials, cutting costs by 40%. It also replaces traditional concrete foundations with steel to minimize impact on the local grassland ecosystem.
Chuang Xihong, deputy director of the Engineering Construction Department of Guodian Power Group, CHN Energy’s parent company, explained that Mengxi Blue Ocean is an agrivoltaic project as well [via PV Tech]:
Fine forage and sand-fixing plants are planted under the PV modules, providing grazing for Australian White Sheep and chickens. A composite ecological development model will be established where PV power generation and breeding will go hand in hand.
Read more: China powers up the world’s largest open-sea offshore solar farm
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