Pivotal, the flying car company backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, has parted ways with its chief executive. Ken Karklin, who led the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) firm for more than four years, stepped down from the role this week.
According to a company announcement, Karklin is “pursuing new endeavors,” though Pivotal did not share additional details about his exit. In a statement, Karklin praised the company’s progress, saying the industry has “moved past prototypes and press releases” and is now “operating in the real world, under real constraints, with real consequences for the future of Advanced Air Mobility.”
Mike Ross Takes Over on an Interim Basis
Stepping in as interim CEO is Mike Ross, an aviation executive who joined Pivotal’s board of directors in November 2025. Ross said the company’s team, priorities, and roadmap “remain steady through this transition,” adding that he looked forward to guiding the company as it brings its fourth-generation Helix aircraft to market. Karklin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The leadership change arrives two years after Pivotal began selling Helix, its first lightweight electric personal aircraft. The single-seat vehicle does not require a pilot’s license to operate and starts at around EUR 172,563.
BlackFly and the Push Into Emergency Response
Beyond consumer flight, Pivotal has spent years developing an aircraft called BlackFly, designed for defense and first responder applications. Last month, BlackFly was used to respond to an emergency in North Carolina for the first time. The company says the aircraft reached the scene 20 minutes ahead of an ambulance dispatched to the same call. Pivotal reports that BlackFly has now completed more than 10,000 flights.
Pivotal is among several companies selected for the Federal Aviation Administration’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, an initiative created to expand testing of these aircraft across the United States.
Source
Image: techcrunch.com
