Electric boating company makes Austin push

• In boating-friendly Central Texas, Arc Boats and similar tech companies could change the future of waterways.
• Yes, but: Some of our lakes are disappearing.

The big picture: Electric boats have their pluses and minuses, writes Axios' Joann Muller.

• While quiet and efficient, they require a tremendous amount of energy to propel themselves through the water.
• That means they need a gigantic, heavy battery and can't go very far or very fast — a killjoy for speed-boating enthusiasts.

But the traditional option — gas boats — are a tremendous pain to own.

• "They're really expensive to operate, you have to winterize the engine, they're noisy and unreliable, the fumes are noxious and they're annoying to maintain," says Mitch Lee, a lifelong water skier who is the co-founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based Arc Boats.
• Filling them with gas is expensive too — perhaps one reason that some boat owners never leave the dock.
• "Taking a boat out on the lake for a day is easily going to cost at least $100," Lee says.

Details: The company was founded in January 2021 by a team of former SpaceX engineers.

• The company's first boat, the all-electric Arc One, combines a lightweight aluminum hull with a gigantic 220 kWh battery — three times the size of the battery in a Tesla Model Y — integrated into the floor.
• The Arc One, which has a top speed of 40mph and costs $300,000, is on sale now with first deliveries expected this year.
• The boat, which can be used for three to five hours before needing a charge, fits 12 people.

What's next: Austinites interested in taking a demo ride between Oct. 21-30 can sign up here.