Will Ferrell has had it up to here with those smug Norwegians and their EV buying habits. So he’s going to do something about it and is taking Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina along for the ride in GM’s new 90-second “Big Game” ad.
Perturbed by the fact that more than half of all new vehicles sold in the Scandinavian country are electrically driven (thanks in large part to generous financial incentives provided by the Norwegian government), compared to just four percent of those in the US, Ferrell takes it upon himself change America’s perceptions about EV technology. His solution is simple: show off GM’s new Ultium battery technology by hopping into the upcoming Cadillac Lyriq — while Thompson and Awkwafina get behind the wheel of the new Hummer EV — and heading for Norway. But, in classic Ferrell style, the roadtrip quickly devolves into complete anarchy involving high seas shipping containers, caribou sightings and a wrong turn at Sweden.
The ad comes just a couple months after GM announced that it would no longer support the EPA’s lawsuit against California’s stringent vehicle emission regulations and is working to release 30 EV models by 2025. President Biden has already signaled strong support for greener transportation tech, having last week revealed plans to transition the federal government’s entire fleet of vehicles over to EVs. “We are confident that the Biden Administration, California and the US auto industry, which supports 10.3 million jobs, can collaboratively find the pathway that will deliver an all-electric future,” GM CEO Mary Barra wrote at the time. “To better foster the necessary dialogue, we are immediately withdrawing from the pre-emption litigation and inviting other automakers to join us.”
