Duet builds mostly-electric vehicles that are renewed instead of replaced. We start with the classic VW Bus, and every Bus we build proves the standard parts that will carry these ideas much further. Four principles guide every decision.
01
Renew, don’t replace
The best car is one that never has to be thrown away. Keep what people love; swap out what wears out.
Today: the Duet Bus
Every Duet Bus starts as a Bus that already exists. We restore the body instead of building a new vehicle.
The drivetrain is made of standard modules: battery, electric drive, generator, cooling and electronics. When one wears out, it is swapped and remanufactured, not scrapped.
At scale
The same modules move to other loved vehicles, such as Land Rovers and Toyota pickups, each needing mainly an adapter frame.
Then a Duet SUV designed from the start to be renewed for decades: refresh the modules, keep the car. An upgrade replaces a trade-in.
02
Beautiful, and yours
People keep the things they love. A car worth keeping has to be worth looking at.
Today: the Duet Bus
The VW Bus is one of the most loved designs ever made. We keep its shape and character and restore it panel by panel.
You choose the paint, upholstery, wheels and details, so no two Buses need to be alike.
At scale
Beauty should not be limited to what one company draws. Our SUV will open its body to designers: one certified structure underneath, many body styles on top.
Designers earn a royalty on every vehicle built. A new design goes into production once enough people order it.
03
Within reach
A better car that only a few can afford changes little. Standard parts are how we bring the price down.
Today: the Duet Bus
Professionally converted electric classic Buses commonly sell for well over $200,000. Our target is $79,000, because the drivetrain uses standard parts and donor Buses are restored by partner shops.
Daily driving on electricity costs less per mile than gasoline, and one Duet Care plan covers maintenance.
At scale
A car you renew loses less value than one you replace, and a module swap costs far less than a new car.
Our SUV target is about $40,000, below the average new vehicle. Later, one monthly plan can cover the vehicle, insurance and maintenance.
04
Lighter on the planet
A car pollutes twice: once when it is built, and every mile after. We work on both.
Today: the Duet Bus
No new vehicle built: the body already exists, and we restore it.
Most daily miles can be electric. The first Buses carry a 20 kWh battery, about 35 to 40 miles of planned electric range, while the average American drives about 37 miles a day. A small generator covers long trips, so there is no range anxiety.
At scale
Build less and burn less: vehicles renewed for decades instead of replaced, with batteries sized for daily driving (a 35 kWh target, about 70 to 90 miles).
The generator is a swappable cartridge. As batteries get cheaper, owners can trade it for more battery, with no new car built. We will measure electric miles on every vehicle and commission an independent lifecycle study before making carbon claims.
Start here
The first step is a Bus.
Every Bus we build teaches us how to make the next vehicle cheaper, cleaner and longer-lived.
The VW Bus · In development
Take the long way home.
A classic VW Bus, reimagined with electric drive and an onboard gasoline generator. Plug in for everyday journeys. Refuel for the long road.
Build updates and first word when orders open. One email a month at most. Free to join. No deposit.
Target starting price
VW Bus
$79,000**
Complete restored Bus. Target price, subject to change. Options, tax, title and delivery extra.
What’s included & pricing details
Planned complete restored VW Bus with the standard electric drive, battery and onboard gasoline generator. Options and bespoke finishes are additional. Final equipment and inclusions will be confirmed before orders open.
**Target price, subject to change. The final price is confirmed when you order.
View illustrative financing
$766/mo*
*Illustrative payment with 20% down, 7.99% APR over 120 months, before tax, title and delivery. Not an offer of credit; financing terms are not yet available.
Tax, title and delivery are additional.
Concept illustration for reference only. Finish, trim and detail may change. Specifications have not yet been finalized.
Where we are today
Follow the first Bus.
Duet Drive is developing its first restored VW Bus. Orders are not open, no Duet Bus has been delivered, and we have not announced a delivery date.
Specifications have not yet been finalized. The configurator and simulators are concept previews. Joining the waitlist is free, with no deposit or purchase commitment.
A little more time for the good things
The company. The view. The way there.
01 — Your weekends
Somewhere worth slowing down.
Coffee by the coast. A familiar road with someone you love. A classic VW Bus, reimagined for the next chapter.
02 — Finished
A cabin that feels like yours.
Warm upholstery, your favorite colors and familiar gauges. Explore the design direction, then tell us which comforts would make the difference.
03 — Driven
Electric at the wheels. Gasoline when you need it.
The planned hybrid system combines electric driving with an onboard gasoline generator. Plug in at home for local trips; refuel on longer journeys.
AI concept illustrations. No completed customer vehicles are shown. Specifications have not yet been finalized.
Before your first journey
The details that make it yours to enjoy.
Comfort, from the first step.
Seat support, getting in and out, cabin temperature and conversation at highway speed all matter. We’re evaluating seating, air conditioning and insulation; final equipment and test results are still to come.
Room for your kind of weekend.
People, bags and the things you take along. Seating capacity, seat belts, luggage space and optional cabin layouts will be confirmed before orders open. Tell us how you would use yours.
A clear ownership plan.
Home charging, brakes, service, warranty and parts support deserve clear answers. The charging connection, brake specification and support terms are not finalized. We’ll share them before taking orders.
It turns a generator. Everything that moves the bus is electric, so it pulls like an electric car and refuels at any pump in the country. Plug in for local electric driving; use the generator for longer trips.
Electric for power.
Electric VW Bus range, three ways
The road ahead. The stops along the way.
The Duet Bus combines plug-in driving for local trips with gasoline refueling for longer journeys. Here’s how range and roadside stops compare.
Original VW Bus
1965 split-window · Gasoline
Range from full
About 250 milesPeriod owner’s manual · Full tank
Roadside refueling / charging
About 5–10 minutesEstimated gasoline stop · Fill the tank
Range added at that stop
About 250 milesFrom an empty-to-full tank refill
Volkswagen ID. Buzz
2025 US model · Rear-wheel drive · Electric
Range from full
234 milesEPA-estimated · Full charge
Roadside refueling / charging
As little as 26 minutes10–80% charge · Suitable 200 kW DC charger
Range added at that stop
About 164 milesEPA-range equivalent of the 70% charge added
Duet Bus
Classic Volkswagen · Electric & Gas
Range from full
310–350 milesCalculated at 65 mph · Full battery + 10.6 usable gallons
Roadside refueling / charging
About 5–10 minutesEstimated gasoline stop · Fill the tank
Range added at that stop
250–270 milesCalculated gas-only range added · Battery not recharged
The Duet Bus’s calculated total range is 375–430 miles at 55 mph, or 310–350 miles at 65 mph. At 70 mph, the equivalent estimate is 285–325 miles. Battery-only range at 65 mph is approximately 65–85 miles. Its figures are engineering estimates, not tested or EPA-rated range; all fuel-based estimates use a 10.6-gallon usable tank. These vehicles use different range methods, so this is not a same-route test. Gas stop times are planning estimates. All stop times exclude queues and detours.
Sources and calculation assumptions
Original Bus: Volkswagen’s 1965 owner’s manual lists approximately 250 miles from a 10.6 US gallon tank. Vehicle condition and driving conditions affect actual range.
ID. Buzz: VW’s US 2025 RWD specifications give 234 EPA-estimated miles.VW quotes 10–80% charging in 26 minutes under suitable conditions. The 164-mile figure is 70% of EPA range, not measured highway range. Charging speed varies with battery temperature, charge level, charger output and other conditions.
Duet Bus: 36–40 kWh gross, 28.8–36 kWh usable at the electrical bus, approximately 4,000 lb operating weight, Cd 0.45, 2.67 m² frontal area, 2 kW auxiliaries and level-road driving. The model uses 34–36% engine thermal efficiency while running, 94% generator efficiency, 89–93% electrical-to-wheel efficiency and 92% battery round-trip efficiency. At an illustrative 50 kW generation point, the engine runs about 58–60% of the time at 65 mph, supplying the motor and charging the battery, then stops. The exact Ford 1.5L operating point and these efficiencies have not been measured. Gasoline replenishes generator fuel, not battery charge. Plug-in replenishment of the usable battery window takes approximately 5–7 hours with the 6.6 kW charger and a suitable 240 V supply, allowing for charging losses. Wind, hills, heating, load and final hardware change these estimates. The How it works simulator uses the conservative efficiency case and an 80% usable DC window. Its standard build uses 36 kWh gross; the larger build uses 40 kWh gross. The favorable end of this comparison also assumes better efficiencies and a wider usable window, so choosing the larger battery alone does not reproduce the upper bound. Acceleration and the final partial engine cycle can make a simulated trip differ slightly from the steady-road estimate.
Engine-efficiency assumptions are informed by EPA benchmarking of other EcoBoost engines, not a verified 1.5L map. Charge-and-stop operation is included in the calculation; engine-off time is not an additional range multiplier. These warm-operation scenarios do not quantify cold-start or restart overhead.
0–60 mph
Bus, before and after.
Elapsed0.0s
1968 — as built0 mph
0 to 60 mph in37.0s
60
Duet Powertrain0 mph
0 to 60 mph in7.6s
60
5× speed. Engineering targets, not measurements from a finished car.
Build yours
Paint, trim, wheels and accessories. The drivetrain is the same in every one. Specifications have not yet been finalized.
Tax, title and delivery are additional. Joining the waitlist is free, takes no payment and does not reserve a vehicle or create a purchase commitment. Images are concept illustrations for reference only. Specifications have not yet been finalized. Volkswagen and VW are trademarks of Volkswagen AG; Duet Drive is not affiliated with Volkswagen.
Follow the first build.
Get build updates and first word when orders open. One email a month at most. Free to join. No deposit.
