Earlier this month Arc Boat Co. announced that it took a pre-production unit of its first electric boat, the Arc One limited-edition luxury cruiser, to Lake Arrowhead, CA, for a day of testing. The company is currently accepting preorders for the boat, with the boat going on sale this spring, and the first deliveries beginning this summer.

Arc has moved very quickly since its founding in early 2021 by CEO Mitchell Lee, who and CTO Ryan Cook, previously with SpaceX and Boeing. With the goal of electrifying all waterborne vessels, in a matter of months the company had assembled a team of “(literal) rocket engineers” to help it move fast.

In October, the company announced that it was designing, manufacturing, and distributing the next generation of watercraft on an ambitious timeline, starting with electric waterski boats and wakeboards. It says it is now developing boats at over five times the speed of the industry standard, and it is bringing components in-house that even the largest names in the industry have shied away from.

In its first nine months, the company raised a seed funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz, brought together a team of rocket engineers and boat enthusiasts, built and tested one of the world’s most powerful electric boats from scratch, and kicked off production of its limited-edition boat. Along the way, it also attracted a lineup of celebrity strategic investors including funds from Will Smith’s Dreamers VC, Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures, and Sean “Diddy” Combs’ Combs Enterprises.

To that base, the company announced in November a fundraising milestone—a $30 million Series A round led by Greg Reichow from Eclipse Ventures, with participation from existing investors—Andreessen Horowitz, Lowercarbon Capital, and Abstract Ventures. Prior to joining Eclipse, Reichow, who also joined Arc’s board, led much of Tesla’s early manufacturing, supply chain, and automation efforts. The boat company hopes to benefit from his experience making the transition from R&D to full-scale production, helping Arc accelerate its production ramp this year.

Arc is all-in on electric boats because it says they are not only far more reliable and less expensive to operate, but they are also quieter, quicker, easier to maintain, and cleaner—with no fumes or pollutants. In addition, electric boats can go where no gas boats are allowed to go—on the increasing number of lakes restricting the use of gasoline-fueled boats given their negative impact on the environment.

However, it acknowledged that electric boats need to compete on performance, range, and price, so boats need large batteries, sophisticated electric systems, and hulls that can intelligently accommodate both. The company is designing its battery packs, powertrain systems, thermal control systems, and “most importantly” software in-house to give it a unique ability to build a boat with a “cohesive feel, amazing performance, and new features that no other boat can offer.”

The limited-edition Arc One is designed and built out of the company’s factory in Los Angeles, CA. The company says that, with 50% more energy storage than the next best competitor and 50% more horsepower, the boat has far superior range, acceleration, and performance than any boat in its class. Innovations in hull geometry, thermal control, and structural battery design allow for a large battery and powerful motor while keeping the electric prolusion system in the same weight class as the competition.

The testing and design iterations the company has been doing this fall and winter have resulted in some better performance than originally announced. The total battery capacity will be 10% larger at 220 kW·h, or about three times the capacity of a Tesla Model Y. A new, more powerful motor will also be capable of putting out over 500 hp (373 kW). The hull shape has evolved to unlock greater efficiency and sportier handling. The boat’s top speed is 40 mph (64 km/h).

The boat’s elegant, minimalist design measures 24 ft (7.3 m) long, with a beam of 102 in or 8.5 ft (2590 mm) and a draft of 33 in (838 mm), for a 12-person capacity. The lightweight hull features marine-grade aluminum, using aerospace manufacturing techniques, to unlock superior range and durability. The battery packs were designed to provide tight control over the boat’s center of gravity while freeing up an extra 60 ft³ (1700 L) of storage space.

The Arc One can be charged from a standard wall outlet (Level 1), an electric car-type residential garage wall charger (Level 2), or a DC fast charger (Level 3). The boat uses an industry-standard CCS1 charging port, and charging cables for both Level 1 and Level 2 charging are included.

For lucky customers with a marina or dock having a DC fast charger, an 80% charge can be had in as little as 40 min. In more typical situations, plugging the Arc One into a 240-V outlet commonly found on docks should recharge it overnight. According to the company, no more lugging gas cans down to a dock or paying marina gas prices; customers can wake up each morning to a boat that’s ready to go.

Only a handful of Arc Ones will be made at an all-in price of $300,000, meaning no paying more for decent speakers or a trailer. Everything needed to operate the boat comes standard, including life jackets, a trailer, and even a cooler.

After Arc One, “we intend to introduce additional models at more mass-market price points as our manufacturing capabilities mature,” wrote Ted Herringshaw, Product, Arc.

With continued development, the company promises to improve performance, maximize efficiency, and enable safer and more convenient operation both on and off the water.

As with many fast-growing startups, Arc is quickly hiring, with many openings for people interested in leading the marine industry into an electric future.

Potential buyers can reserve a spot on the waitlist with a fully refundable $1000 deposit for the limited-edition Arc One, which also comes with private access to boat demos and events. If the company sells out of boats before satisfying all reserved spots on the waitlist, customers have the option to receive a full refund or move to the top of the list for a future model.