Charger company Wallbox turns to Super Bowl in play to reach potential EV buyers

Wallbox, an electric vehicle charger maker, will air its first-ever Super Bowl ad, debuting a 15-second spot in the second quarter of the Feb. 13 game. The company offers EV charging options for residential, semipublic and public use.

"We're making a big bet in the U.S.," said Barbara Calixto, Wallbox's chief marketing officer. "The U.S. is going to be one of the largest markets for EVs in the coming years. We're going to the Super Bowl because that's where our consumers are. Any potential EV car buyer is a potential Wallbox buyer as well."

The commercial comes as the Spanish company is looking to expand its U.S. presence. In September, Wallbox announced it will be building a manufacturing plant in Arlington, Texas, slated for June. This will be Wallbox's fourth plant, already having two in Europe and one in China.

Wallbox worked with David Agency on the spot and focused on diversity in casting.

Wallbox is the first EV supplier to run a Super Bowl commercial. But the game has previously been a popular venue for automakers to plug their electric vehicle ambitions.

At CES this month, Wallbox introduced Quasar 2, its latest bidirectional home charger designed specifically for North America. The charger lets owners power their home off the grid or use their EV as a generator during a loss of power.

Wallbox went public via a special purpose acquisition company in October.

— Erika Wheless, Ad Age

What you need to know

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Roundup

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Brain food

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Last mile

Mobility company Cerence showcased new technology at CES this month that reimagines the idea of an in-car voice assistant. The technology, Cerence Co-Pilot, uses artificial intelligence and continuous learning to provide more intuitive in-vehicle assistance, with the ability to even anticipate a driver's needs before being prompted for assistance.