Arc Boat Company Secures $160 Million Contract from Curtin Maritime

Arc Boat Company, an electric boat company, led by Mitch Lee and Ryan Cook, has partnered with Curtin Maritime on a $160 million contract to build a fleet of eight hybrid-electric ship assist tugboats. It will be the largest deployment of electric workboats in marine industry history.

Tugboats are vital to supply chains and defense logistics, but still run on outdated diesel engines. Arc is modernizing the industry with efficient, reliable hybrid-electric powertrains, marking a major step toward cleaner maritime operations.

Ship assist tugs built with Curtin will pack over 4,000 horsepower, ~60 tonnes of bollard pull, and a 6 MWh battery, powered by Arc’s vertically integrated electric powertrain technology proven in Arc Sport, Arc Coast, and the truckable tug.

Arc’s electric tugs cut fuel and maintenance costs, often half of ship assist operating expenses—while boosting reliability and reducing downtime. Curtin Maritime calls them a smarter, low-maintenance fleet that delivers both power and efficiency.

The first four Arc-Curtin tugs will deploy by 2027 in the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, handling a third of U.S. container traffic, and mark a major step toward zero-emission port operations.