In the high-stakes race to fill the skies with electric air taxis, gravity just took the lead. Supernal, the Irvine-based startup backed by billions in Hyundai Motor Group capital, laid off roughly 80% of its workforce last week.
According to reporting from The Air Currentand the Orange County Register, the company cut 296 jobs, leaving behind a skeleton staff of fewer than 80 employees. It’s a staggering retreat for a venture that, until recently, was positioned as a heavyweight contender in the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) sector.
A company spokesperson described the move as a “strategic pivot” designed to optimize long-term cost structures. Supernal is consolidating operations into its Irvine headquarters while shutting down or scaling back work in Mojave, Fremont and its former Washington, D.C. facilities.
Despite more than $6 billion in investment from Hyundai since its 2020 launch, the company has struggled to convert capital into a flight-ready product. The eVTOL industry is sprinting toward the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, a milestone both Santa Cruz–based Joby Aviation and San Jose’s Archer Aviation are racing to hit…