Arc Boats update: July 2022
by Arc Boats 2 Jul 2022 19:21 UTC
Abundant sunshine (and blazing temps) during testing on Lake Piru © Arc Boats
Happy 4th of July! Wishing you a weekend full of summer fun. We'll be taking a few days off to unwind after some busy and exciting (and hot) weeks at the company.
Here's what's cooking:
June highlights
- The Arc One went on sale: Our first customers have claimed their boats and delivery slots, and we're continuing to make our way through the preorder waitlist until we sell out.
- As if we needed an excuse to spend more time on the water, we increased our cadence of test outings to push the boat to its limits while dialing in its performance. This past week we ventured up to Lake Piru to collect a boatload of data.
- Speaking of data, we got a new telematics system up and running. This lets us stream performance data from our boats in real time when they're out on the water.
- We continued to host customer demos in the LA area. We only had two guests fall overboard (kidding).
- We flipped the hull of Serial No. 2 and began outfitting the boat with its windshield, gunnel, and bow components.
- Our first company drone made its maiden voyage. Follow us on Instagram for full cinematic action.
The Arc One wait is over
The wait is over: the Arc One is officially on sale starting today. It's now the most powerful electric watercraft commercially available, making today a milestone not just for Arc, but also for the nascent electric boating industry.
How we got here
Arc's mission is to electrify the marine industry. From the beginning, we set out to build a beautiful, high-performance electric boat without sacrificing speed, range, or power. Achieving that goal comes with a unique set of technical challenges.
To start, competing with and even outperforming today's powerful gas boats requires a large battery. Ours is three times the size of a Tesla Model Y's and weighs nearly 3,000 lbs. Accommodating a battery of that size requires a hull purpose-built for the task.
We chose to work with an aluminum hull, instead of more commonly used fiberglass, not only because it's lightweight, durable, and more environmentally friendly, but also because it allows us to easily test and refine the shape in pursuit of optimal performance. We've spent countless hours striking the right balance between a punchy acceleration and a smooth, quiet ride.
We believe this highly iterative process is crucial to pushing the industry forward. While the craft of boat-building goes back millennia, we're in uncharted waters when it comes to developing an electric vessel at this level of performance. That's why we assembled a team of former rocket engineers and boating industry veterans to continuously test and refine every step of the way.
Where we're going
Over the coming months, we'll be ramping up production, beginning with the first customer deliveries, and taking boats on tour around the U.S. It's a significant moment, and it's just the beginning.
Electrifying the world of boating holds enormous potential for people and the planet, and we're here to make that happen at scale. The Arc One is a thrilling start to this journey.