Hyundai's Ioniq 5 was named World Car of the Year, besting two other electric crossovers for the award.

Mercedes, which did not disclose the location of Envision's new U.S. cell factory, also flipped the switch on a new battery assembly plant located on 270 acres near its vehicle factory.

Mercedes has set the stage for the mass production of luxury electric vehicles in the U.S. And its massive Alabama plant will be key in taking the fight to EV kingpin Tesla.

CEO Ola Källenius, speaking during the company's opening of its first U.S. EV battery factory, also affirmed the company's 2022 financial outlook remained in place despite the conflict.

Suppliers representing 90 percent of the automaker's purchasing volume will supply CO2-neutral parts.

Mercedes-Benz will source 70 percent of its energy needs for production through renewable energy by 2030 by rolling out solar and wind power projects at its plants and through power purchase agreements.

The Drive Pilot system, which lets drivers engage in other activities such as watching a film or sending e-mails, won limited certification in Germany last year.

Japan's Envision AESC will invest $2 billion to build a battery-cell and module plant in Kentucky to supply Mercedes-Benz and multiple other automakers.

Mercedes-Benz plans to relaunch Maybach with a no-holds-barred stylistic approach to attract the world's ultra-rich, CEO Ola Kallenius says.