[ad_1]
The former team Space Exploration Technology Corporation Rocket engineers joined the race to build the first commercial electric speedboat.
Arc shipping company Announced that it has raised $4.25 million (£3 million) in seed funding to begin construction of a 24-foot 475-horsepower ship at a cost of approximately $300,000.
The Los Angeles-based company is backed by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (early backers of Facebook and Airbnb), which said that the first model of the Arc One boat will go on sale at the end of this year.
Mitch Lee, Arc’s chief executive, said he wanted to build electric boats because of the environmental impact of traditional gasoline or diesel-powered boats.
“Not only do they only have 2 miles per gallon, but they also pump a lot of this smoke into the water,” Li said. “In addition, there are huge noise pollution factors [of conventional boats] This is terrible for marine life. Using gas-powered ships will not only emit carbon into the air, but also pollute water sources and cause noise pollution. The electric boat eliminates all this. “
Li said that electric boats will also reduce the hassle of owning a boat. “I like being on the water. It’s fun on a boat, but it’s too bad to own a boat,” he said. “I have always believed that electric boats make sense. They will be faster, quieter, cheaper, and easier to operate and maintain.”
Although the first model will be very expensive, Li said that the cost is mainly to develop the technology, and a cheaper version will be provided in the future. “This is largely Tesla’s approach-we are launching the market and using these revenues to fund R&D and going downhill in the market,” he said.
Lee said the technology could be applied to larger ships, and even ferries could use electricity in the future.
“We started in February without a team, no funds, and no warehouse,” he said. “By December, we will sell Arc One, and we are actively recruiting because we want to accelerate the adoption of electric boats in the entire process area.”
Sign up for daily business today email
Lee founded the company with mechanical engineers Ryan Cook. Cook is the company’s chief technology officer. He was previously the chief mechanical engineer of Elon Musk’s space exploration company SpaceX, where he participated in the Falcon 9 rocket, the world’s first orbital-level reusable Rocket. Except for Li, all Arc employees have experience working at SpaceX.
The Arc boat has a top speed of 40 mph, and it has joined the ranks of many start-up companies that are scrambling to mass-produce electric speedboats.Monaco Yacht Club of the Month Hold an electric boat prototype competition To “inspire a new vision and promote all positive methods to align the yacht with the global carbon dioxide emission reduction target”. Sweden’s Candela C-7 hydrofoil was crowned as the fastest electric boat.
International Electric Motor Boat Competition It is planned to start in 2023.
[ad_2]
Source link
