I didn’t go to CES 2025 with the purpose of getting drenched by Lake Mead’s chilly January waters. However after I found Los Angeles-based boat startup Arc had introduced its new sport boat to Las Vegas, I figured it was definitely worth the danger. It was.
The Arc Sport was a pleasure to drive, even for a 30-minute outing on a uneven lake. It maneuvered like a heavy jet ski — weight that helped it really feel steady. I’ve pushed loads of heavy electrical automobiles, vans, and SUVs the place the burden felt like a drag. On this case, I used to be pleased to have a little bit heft beneath us.
Like its boats, Arc has moved quick as a startup. Arc, which was based by former SpaceX engineers, came out of stealth in 2021 with backing from Andreessen Horowitz and Chris Sacca’s Lowercarbon Capital. It raised a $30 million Sequence A a number of months later, led by Eclipse Ventures associate and former Tesla government Greg Reichow. The startup shipped its first $300,000 Arc One boats in early 2023, raised one other $70 million that same year, and set to work on the $258,000 Arc Sport.

In line with that tempo, Arc delivered its first Sport boat to a buyer late final 12 months. That’s a “actually quick growth time,” founder and CEO Mitch Lee informed TechCrunch as we zipped round Lake Mead. And it was solely doable as a result of Arc took the time to learn to make the limited-run One boat earlier than shifting on to one thing with a bit extra mass attraction, based on Lee.
“The Arc One for us was that [Tesla] Roadster. First step was, let’s go manufacture this boat. Let’s do it at a small scale, and let’s be taught from what it’s prefer to have these boats within the area with prospects,” he informed TechCrunch in an interview in November. “We’ve had boats undergo hurricanes now. We’ve had boats get launched on 95 diploma water. These learnings are extremely useful.”
Once I arrived, Lee was shivering within the winter breeze subsequent to Lake Mead, however clearly nonetheless pleased to indicate off the Arc Sport and what it could actually do. We climbed aboard and hit the water.
It’s a formidable boat earlier than you even hit the throttle. The match and end on the boat I piloted, which was nonetheless technically a production-intent automobile, was putting, particularly since CES isn’t generally known as a venue for polished prototypes.
There are parts that may make individuals marvel, although. There was a Tesla-style horizontal touchscreen with sensible, fluid software program that didn’t scream “legacy producer.” A second display screen sat behind the wheel on the helm, exhibiting pace, battery degree, and a view from the forward-facing digital camera.

The Sport is way quieter than a typical gasoline boat. It’s not silent. I might nonetheless hear the motor working beneath our toes; nevertheless it was simple to listen to Lee, his two co-workers, and one other journalist on board. It was no louder than the wind and the sound of the wake being thrown off behind us — a distinguishing function of Arc’s boats in comparison with the various different hydrofoil-based electrical boat startups.
While you mix that with the opposite quality-of-life enhancements the Sport affords over another gasoline rivals – like no fumes, sturdy software program that updates over-the-air, twin thrusters that make it simple to rotate and park the boat, a stable cover that lowers to protect from the weather, and the dearth of winterization required – it is sensible why watersports lovers would possibly pay a premium for this boat.
Boats aren’t essentially onerous to drive. The true studying curve comes from understanding the way to navigate and behave on the water. Driving the Sport on an empty Lake Mead, even in uneven waters, was no problem. Put a hand on the wheel, carry the lock on the throttle knob, and push it ahead to have 500 horsepower of enjoyable.
The 226 kWh battery pack stored the boat planted, and in addition helped the comparatively quick 23-foot body make fast pivots as I turned the wheel. These turns have been probably the most fraught a part of the expertise with the wind and the chop. Certain sufficient, we received slapped with a wave, spraying us with the icy blue water the Colorado River provides to Lake Mead.
It was value it, although. Everybody ought to be capable to have that a lot enjoyable.

On the way in which again to the dock, whereas toweling off, it was onerous to not discover Lake Mead’s depletion. A potent mixture of seemingly limitless drought and human exercise has lowered the reservoir to simply 27% of its complete capability, based on NASA. In each route I might see the place the water line was once, a phenomenon colloquially identified referred to because the “bathtub ring.”
This has had a direct influence on boaters who use the lake for recreation – precisely the sort of individuals Lee hopes to promote to. Lake Mead has needed to shut a number of boat launches and ramps over the previous couple of years, according to the National Park Service, and prolong those that stay with a view to attain the lake’s newer, decrease degree.
I didn’t ask him if the evaporation of freshwater lakes is a danger for Arc’s addressable market – that’s a grim concept I’ll you’ll want to increase subsequent time. What I do know is Lee has stated his purpose is that each watercraft switches to electrical. That features wanting past powersports, even perhaps to authorities and protection – an concept that seed investor Andreessen Horowitz is sort of keen on nowadays.
Once I requested Lee about this in November, he demurred, however left the door open.
“We will’t afford to get distracted too early, as a result of if we do, we are going to fail as an organization,” he stated. “The explanation we have been in a position to develop the Arc Sport so rapidly is due to the work that we did on the Arc One. I might go down this lengthy record of all of the carryover and IP, however the identical factor applies to going to business, going into authorities sectors, and our aspirations as a enterprise positively carry over to that. We’re simply not fairly prepared to debate something there but.”
Arc,CES,ces 2025,electrical boats,EVs
Add comment