Arc docks at the Port of Los Angeles

Arc has a new home in the Port of Los Angeles. We’re launching a waterfront R&D facility at AltaSea’s historic complex to accelerate the port’s electric transition. Here we’ll develop, test, and deploy the next generation of electric harbor craft. The site will also host the port’s first dedicated tugboat charging hub.

“We're leading the charge to modernize workboats in the nation’s busiest port,” says Mitch Lee, Arc’s co-founder and CEO. “That starts with providing critical charging infrastructure for operators, allowing them to go all-in on more capable and cost-effective fleets.”

Moving in

We’re installing a charging station along 200 feet of wharf, near Angels Gate Lighthouse at the port’s main entrance. The first boat to dock at the site will be the truckable tug we’re retrofitting in partnership with Diversified Marine. The 26-foot vessel will be the port’s first electric tug when it gets back to work this summer.

It won’t be the last. Tugboats, the workhorses of port operations, are primed for electrification. They run short, repetitive routes and require high torque. They also burn money: Fuel and maintenance make up more than half of a diesel tug’s sizable operating costs.

Arc’s electric powertrain and software — based on the high-voltage architecture we’ve developed over the past four years — provide the requisite torque, without the hefty expenses.

“We’re solving an economic problem,” explains Kofi Asante, Arc’s vice president of business development. “Existing tugboat fleets are outdated and operators are extremely price-sensitive. Electrification opens the door for more affordable and capable day-to-day operations.”

Meeting the neighbors

The move places us in good company. AltaSea is a hub for marine technology, hosting carbon removal startups, aquaculture labs, and more. It’s housed at a century-old wharf, the harbor’s oldest shipping dock — now reimagined as a home for ocean innovation as the port transitions to zero-emission equipment. Arc fits right in.

“Decarbonization at our ports is a critical step to achieving real, substantive climate progress,” says Terry Tammimen, AltaSea’s president and CEO. “We are excited to welcome Arc to our campus. Their boats and charging infrastructure will help make the Port of Los Angeles a global model for sustainable maritime operations.”

On a recent breezy day, members of our crew observed the port’s past and future firsthand. We sat on the deck of an Arc Sport, watching a ship-assist tug escort a ship out to sea. The tug’s smokestack churned out thick exhaust clouds as it burned thousands of dollars of fuel. “That’s totally avoidable,” Asante said.

We docked, then walked the length of AltaSea’s wharf, across the inlet from a group of tied-up workboats. Our path crossed old train tracks, once used for transporting goods from harbor warehouses. Old infrastructure becomes new. We’re excited to contribute by bringing the most advanced EV technology to the heart of marine commerce.