An electric boats company with torus roots takes measures to provide work boats powered by battery and load infrastructure at the port of Los Angeles, where diesel combustion ships emit tons of carbon dioxide.
Arc Boat Co., a startup in southern California which sells electric boats for recreational purposes, said that it will open a research and development establishment at the port in June.
The installation indicates an evolution towards electrification at the most frequented port in the country and marks the expansion of the arc in the commercial sector.
The arc promise to deliver an electrified fleet of work boats occurs five years before a 2030 deadline fixed by the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to switch to zero emission equipment.
The twin ports, located on more than 10,000 acres on the Bay of San Pedro, are counting on heavy cranes, tugboats and trucks to move the cargo. Replacing around 2,000 tugboats in the United States with electric alternatives could prevent more than 1.6 million cars from greenhouse The programs every year, according to Arc.
“Throughout the maritime industry, Going Electric has an incredible meaning,” said the co-founder and chief executive officer, Mitch Lee, in an interview. “These boats have no smoke and you can considerably reduce your operating costs.”
Electric boats require minimal maintenance and zero fuel, an attractive combination for commercial operators who wish to save money and consumers who seek to take advantage of water, said Lee. Arc boats are also quieter and easier to maneuver than traditional boats, he said.
The Ryan Cook co-founders, on the left, and Mitch Lee sit on an electric boat in Arc Boat Co. on May 12, 2025 in Torrance.
(CARLIN STIEHL / LOS Angeles Times)
Electrification of vehicles on water could soon grow, said Petros Ioannou, an engineering teacher at the USC who research on transport technology.
“The main reason for the electric way is really the environment,” said Ioannou. “The question is whether they are able to solve technological and logistical problems” presented by electric boats, including power, scope and load limitations.
Despite the challenges of building a battery capable of propeling a boat, several companies including Navier And X Shore produce and sell electric ships. Arc activities are currently revolving around leisure boats for water sports, from $ 268,000.
In a partnership with Portland, under construction of Shipyard Marine Inc., Arc plans to modernize a 26-foot long truck tug with lithium-ion batteries and a transmission of 600 horsepower. The ship will be the first zero emission tug to support operations at the Port of Los Angeles, ARC said.
Tugboats are an essential tool in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where they guide the largest ships and move equipment such as barges and cranes.
“The tugs run the repetitive and repetitive missions requiring a high couple, and begin and end in the same base,” said Arc in a statement announcing its Modernization project. “Not only does it make them well suited to electric walking, but it considerably reduces operating expenses.”
Combining Diversified Marine allows Arc to launch its new work boat in collaboration with several entities that make business at the port, said Lee.
“Diversified already knows how to use port operations and operating this ship,” he said. “We modernize their tug and deploy it in the port of the, and we are also able to provide load infrastructure.”
A tug is modernized with an electric engine at Arc Boat Co. on May 12, 2025 in Torrance.
(CARLIN STIEHL / LOS Angeles Times)
The passage of electric work tables can save commercial operators at around 50% on maintenance and fuel costs, said Lee, adding that the new ARC research and development installation will provide the bases to make the switch possible.
The company has not revealed how much money it was put in the research center and supporting the load network, but said it would likely require an investment of less than $ 10 million.
The installation is located in a search campus of 35 acres operated by non -profit Altasea. He will support the development of prototypes of electrical work boats, water tests and the deployment of the fleet, said Arc. The company builds its batteries from a separate installation in Los Angeles.
“Decarbonization in our ports is an essential step in making real and substantial climatic progress,” Altasea said in a press release. “The new R&D Boat R&D installation and load infrastructure will help carry a world model for sustainable maritime operations.”
Launched in 2021 by the former engineers of Boeing and SpaceX, Arc’s mission is to electrify everything on the water, said Lee. Before Co-Fonder Arc with his northwest colleague of Ryan Cook, Lee grew up in the bay region and frequently sailed with his family.
ARC received more than $ 100 million in investment funds from California-based venture capital companies, including Andreessen Horower and Lower Carbon Capital, among others. The startup employs 170 people, including experts with history in electric vehicle companies Rivian and Tesla.
The company has not disclosed its annual income, but said that the request for its boats is high. Two models are available to be delivered nationally, including Arc Sport, designed for wake up surfing and water skiing; And the one, a luxury cruiser.
ARC is the only electric company to build its own internal batteries, said Lee.
Although the Assembly was carried out in Los Angeles, President Trump’s steep prices on American trade partners – including a tax of 145% on goods imported from China – have always presented a challenge. The price on China has since been reduced to 30%.
“We are definitively affected by prices and the electric vehicle market has heavy links with Chinese supply chains,” said Lee. “We are also ahead of the curve and much more integrated vertically than most companies.”
With the ambitions to build electric boats capable of transporting cargoes and traveling long distances, ARC will have to remain at the forefront of battery development, Ioannou de l’USC said. The production of its batteries at the national level can give the arc an advantage because the prices disrupt world trade.
“If this space will progress quickly will depend a lot on technology and the availability of batteries,” said Ioannou.
“When you go from petrol to electricity, there are certain advantages that you get, but many headaches too,” he said.
California Daily Newspapers
