Hyundai’s Supernal Loses More Execs in Air Taxi Shake-Up
▼ Summary
– Hyundai’s electric air taxi startup Supernal is undergoing a wider leadership shake-up, with the chief strategy officer, chief safety officer, and chief of staff all leaving the company.
– This follows a recent pause of its vehicle program and the departure of its CEO and CTO, marking a difficult period for the startup.
– Supernal stated the changes are part of a strategic review to ensure alignment with its long-term goals, and owner Hyundai Motor Group remains committed to the business.
– The company has faced significant challenges in 2024, including abruptly winding down its new headquarters, laying off dozens of employees, and pausing its air taxi program.
– These events are occurring during a pivotal time for the eVTOL industry, where some companies are securing investment while others are failing.
Hyundai’s ambitious electric air taxi venture, Supernal, is navigating a significant leadership transition as several key executives have recently departed the company. This development follows the earlier exits of its CEO and Chief Technology Officer, signaling a broader strategic shift within the startup. The company confirmed that Chief Strategy Officer Jaeyong Song and Chief Safety Officer Tracy Lamb have left, alongside Lina Yang, who served as chief of staff to the former CEO. These changes come as Supernal reassesses its program’s direction to better align with its long-term objectives in the advanced air mobility sector.
A spokesperson for the startup indicated that this period of transition has prompted a thorough review of the project’s status and future steps. The statement emphasized that Hyundai Motor Group continues to stand firmly behind its investment in advanced air mobility, underscoring a sustained commitment despite the internal restructuring.
The exit of Jaeyong Song is especially significant given his deep roots within the Hyundai organization. Prior to his role as chief strategy officer at Supernal, which began in 2023, Song spent three years as vice president of Hyundai’s Advanced Air Mobility division and has been with the broader Hyundai-Kia group since 2014. Tracy Lamb brought considerable experience to her role, with a background as a commercial pilot and a safety executive in the aerospace industry. While Lamb declined to comment on her departure, attempts to reach Song were not immediately successful.
This wave of executive turnover caps a challenging period for Supernal. Late in 2024, the company unexpectedly halted the development of its new headquarters in Washington, D.C. Although the startup achieved a milestone with its first test flight in March of the following year, it subsequently conducted layoffs affecting dozens of employees. By September, the leadership shake-up had begun, culminating in a decision to pause the core air taxi development program.
These internal struggles at Supernal are unfolding against a dynamic backdrop for the entire eVTOL (electric vertical takeoff and landing) industry. The sector presents a mixed picture: some companies are successfully attracting fresh capital and forming new partnerships as they move toward commercial operations, buoyed by increasingly supportive regulatory frameworks in markets like the United States. Conversely, other ventures within the same space are faltering, unable to secure the necessary footing to survive.
(Source: TechCrunch)
