Arc electric boats extends line-up with ‘Coast’ center console model

Arc electric boats has introduced a third model, the ‘Coast’, which offer boat buyers an electric version of the increasingly popular center consoles – at a price in line with similar sized and powered fossil fuel models.

“People love center consoles, but gas engines have held back their full potential,” says Mitch Lee, Arc’s CEO and co-founder. “The Arc Coast is what you get when you start from scratch: quiet, exhilarating performance powered by advanced software, paired with an ownership experience free from many of the headaches common with today’s gas boats.”

Integrated sterndrive allows fresh design

One of the things people love about center consoles is the ability to easily move anywhere in the boat, for everything from fishing to water sports to just sitting back and relaxing with friends and family. The Arc Coast is purpose-built for all of those things and the electric inboard makes the 24 foot (7.3 meter) model even roomier than an ICE powered boat of similar size.

David Imai, Arc’s Chief of Design says that’s because “Giant outboard motors are usually in the way. Rethinking the entire boating experience without that constraint allows us to bring people closer to the water and each other.”

The Coast has a 400 hp (295 kW) integrated sterndrive that allows the entire back of the boat to be opened up with a full width swim platform and automatic extending step for diving or easing into the water. The deck has a lounging layout with expansive transom sunpad. There’s also a livewell, insulated fishboxes, and plenty of rod stands. Strategically placed below deck for optimum weight distribution and boat handling is a 226 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

One of the nice advantages of an electric boat on something like a center console is that a motor with enough power to get the boat moving at a top speed of 50 mph (43 kts / 80 kph) can also operate at low revs and slow trolling speed with none of the rumblng or sputtering (or noise or fumes) of a combustion engine. 

The other advantage of a motor that runs on electrons instead of atoms is that it can be much more easily incorporated with the electronics that control and monitor the boat.

Arc electric boats founded in 2021

Arc was started in 2021 by CEO Lee and CTO Ryan Cook, who had previously worked as a lead mechanical engineer at SpaceX. Right from the beginning they were working on advanced telemetry that powers real-time diagnostic and navigation systems. They designed the software in-house to integrate every aspect of the boat’s operation not just to make captaining more reliable and easier, but also to provide over-the-air updates to refine performance and add new features.

Listen: Plugboats podcast with Arc Co-Founder Mitch Lee

“Most center console helms feel generations old,” says Ted Herringshaw, Arc’s product lead. “There’s a lot of unnecessary complexity. We took the opportunity to build an integrated solution that’s cleaner and more inviting, with all the staples, including chart plotting and – because it’s a center console – sophisticated fish finder systems.”

The result is a streamlined helm with none of the clutter of traditional center consoles. A clearly laid out dual-touchscreen interface and intuitive controls replace the mess of gauges and knobs you usually have to decipher and work your way through.

We mentioned that the Coast is Arc’s third recreational e-boat. The first was the Arc One towboat, launched in 2022 with a price tag of $300,000. That was very a limited edition model developed to demonstrate the feasibility and advantages of electric propulsion in a high power speedboat, and led to the Arc Sport consumer model, launched in February of 2024 with a price tag of $268,000.

The Coast has a smaller drive train (400 hp / 290 kW vs 500 hp / 370 kW) and towboats generally have more luxurious detailing and bells and whistles than a center console, so the Coast starts at $168,000.

Coast priced in line with similar ICE boats

People like to think that electric boats cost massively more than ICE models, but that isn’t the case with the Coast. A quick Google search showed that it is right in line with the similarly sized and powered  Scout 240 XSF ($160k), Boston Whaler Dauntless 25 and Robalo S250 – both starting at $150,000.

Take into consideration how much gas a 400 hp outboard uses (about 40 gallons / 150 L per hour at wide open throttle) and it doesn’t take long to literally burn up 10 – 20 thousand dollars worth of fuel. Think of how much CO2 and other noxious fumes that go into the air, then think about the limited maintenance costs of an electric motor compared to a combustion outboard and the Coast looks very attractive both economically and environmentally.

Visit the Arc electric boats website to book a demo or reserve your own Coast. Delivery is scheduled for 2026.

Arc Boats