As the electric boat market continues its sprint towards mainstream acceptance, highly acclaimed Arc Boats continues to position itself at the front of the pack.
The Los Angeles- based company has been on a tear since being founded in 2021. Celebs including actor Will Smith, NBA star Kevin Durant, rapper/actor Sean "Diddy" Combs, and venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz reportedly invested $30 million into the company when it launched. In the two years since, Arc has quickly scaled up their manufacturing potential. The company completed its first test run of the 'Arc One' in March 2022 and announced another round of funding worth $70 million USD in September 2023.
Their unique electric dayboat is a 24' platform that carries a large 220 kWh battery bank producing upwards of 500 hp. In testing, the Arc One carried a top speed over 40 mph (32 knots) in testing, putting it on par with traditional gas-powered boats of similar size. The company has also teased they will be offering a new model in 2024.
The boat's other unique features include structurally integrated batteries and over-the-air software updates. Rather than installing a battery bank that uses up available floor space, the Arc One's batteries are built into the superstructure between the exterior hull and floor. Similar to a Tesla, over-the-air software updates mean the boat can continually be monitored and updated without requiring a visit to a marina or dealer.
Originally operating out an 8000 square foot facility in Los Angeles, the latest announcement will see Arc transition to a 150,000 square foot manufacturing facility and headquarters in 2024. Initially launching with three employees, the company now boasts over 80 full-time staff.
An announcement on their website says, "we decided to base our factory in Los Angeles because of the incredible talent located here. Los Angeles isn't just a city; it's a hub of creativity and innovation. We take pride in competing for a shared talent pool alongside industry leaders like Rivian and SpaceX. The EV landscape is expanding, and we're strategically positioned to be in the middle of it all."
The board of directors for the company, which includes execs from Space-X and Tesla, will undoubtedly help Arc during its push towards mainstream acceptance. Their initial round of Series A funding was led by Greg Reichow, the former VP of production at Tesla and current partner at Eclipse Ventures. Arc itself was cofounded by Mitch Lee and Ryan Cook, both former engineers at SpaceX.
The retail price for the Arc One is expected to be around $300,000 USD. However, those looking to reserve one only have to put down a $1000 deposit to secure a production slot.
The company has also hinted at a watersports-capable model in 2024. Given electric boating's struggle against the physics of water displacement and the depletion of battery power, a boat capable of wakesports would mark a significant improvement in electric boating's large-scale viability.
You can see the Arc One in action below:
