What it's like to ride in a $258k electric sports boat

Catch up quick: The $258,000 Arc Sport is an electric wake boat that seats 15, has a quiet motor, and can coast along the water at up to 40 mph with zero emissions.

• Like a Tesla, it gets over-the-air software updates.
• With cruise control and a customizable ballast system, it's optimized for water sports like surfing, wakeboarding and waterskiing.

A ride in the boat was a pleasure thanks to the Arc Sport's quiet motor.

• Speaking at a normal volume, I was able to converse easily with Arc co-founder Ryan Cook and his team.
• We were traveling 30+ mph out on the Los Cerritos Channel in Long Beach, California.

What they're saying: Cook told me that the new Arc Sport — which replaces a first-edition model called the Arc One — is designed to remove one of the biggest barriers to boat ownership: maintenance.

• Electric motors don't have to be replaced every few years like gas engines.

• A closed-loop cooling system means owners don't have to mess around with filters and pumps.
• Goodbye flooded engines, too.

Back story: Arc is a venture-backed startup made up of former Boeing and SpaceX engineers.

• Investors include NBA stars Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson.

The bottom line: Recreational electric boats are coming — but they'll still cost you a pretty penny.