Toyota offered a sneak peek at the new Century, but this time, the ultra-luxe marquee is being spun off into a new high-end brand that will sit above Lexus.
The Toyota Century evolves into an ultra-luxe brand
Since it launched its first vehicle in 1989, the LS 400, Lexus has become one of the largest luxury brands globally. However, Lexus isn’t the only luxury marque Toyota offers.
The Century was around even before Lexus. First introduced in 1967 to celebrate Toyota’s founder, Sakichi Toyoda’s 100th birthday, the Century was Toyota’s most luxurious vehicle.
It has since become a symbol of luxury in Japan and a top choice for higher-up Japanese company officials as a chauffeur car. Toyota launched the new Century in 2023, an SUV, built on its latest plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system.
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Now, Toyota’s ultra-luxury marque is evolving again and will become a standalone brand that will sit above Lexus. And this time it will be sold overseas.
Toyota previewed the new Century for the first time earlier this week, set to rival higher-end brands like Rolls-Royce and Bentley.
Toyota previews new Century ultra-luxury brand (Source: Toyota)
According to Top Gear, the move to launch Century as a separate brand comes after Toyota’s former CEO, Akio Toyoda, was “concerned” with how the ultra-luxury model fit in its lineup.
Toyoda explained that “Until now, Century’s place in the company has not been clear,” adding “Overseas brands are the result of the merger of companies with different roots and origins, but all of these (Toyota) brands, except for Daihatsu, have the same roots.”
Toyota previews new Century ultra-luxury brand (Source: Toyota)
Toyota’s former boss compared Lexus to “the eldest son” and Toyota to “like the second son,” adding that Lexus “had the sense that it had to be responsible as the eldest son.”
“I previously suggested ‘why not make an above-Lexus?’, but because Toyota is a full-line mass-production manufacturer, they end up taking cars that sell in large quantities. However, when it comes to higher-end cars, even Lexus needs to go above and beyond,” Toyoda said.
Toyota previews the Corolla EV (Source: Toyota)
He added, “Toyota has the Century, so I advised them to position it this way.” So where does that leave Lexus? According to Toyota’s chief branding officer, Simon Humphreys, “Lexus will be freer to act.”
The Lexus brand will “continue to take on challenges as a pioneer,” Humphreys added, while “Century will take on the high-end market as the top of the top, one of one.”
Toyota previewed several vehicles that will debut later this month at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show, including the Lexus LS Concept, a six-wheeled minivan, an electric Corolla, and the new Century.
The Japan Mobility Show starts on October 30, 2025, but press days open on October 29, so more details are expected soon. Stay tuned.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss electricity becoming the base currency, Tesla Robotaxi crashes, the new Porsche Cayenne EV, and more.
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Wallbox is ramping up its partnership with distributor Codale Electric Supply to roll out more EV chargers across the Mountain West, a region that’s seeing a rapid escalation of electrification programs and regional highway corridor build-outs.
Codale has become one of Wallbox’s most active distributors over the past two years, helping contractors, developers, and fleet operators procure Wallbox gear while also providing technical support and logistics. Now the two companies are scaling both AC and DC fast charging across Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and Nevada.
Under the new agreement, Codale will prioritize Wallbox Supernova DC fast chargers and Pulsar Family AC chargers. Codale is already coordinating upgrades of older charging systems and installing new ones across public, commercial, and multifamily sites. Early projects include collaborations with several charge point operators and large commercial portfolios, some of which are rolling out Supernova units in Q4.
The Mountain West has become a hotspot for charging expansion, and Wallbox and Codale say their partnership is designed to keep pace by streamlining installation and improving network reliability.
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Ignasi Alastuey, Wallbox’s chief business officer, said, “This partnership combines Wallbox’s innovation with Codale’s on-the-ground capabilities to rapidly scale charging networks across the Mountain West and set a new benchmark for EV infrastructure growth.”
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EcoFlow launches next Black Friday Sale phase with up to 80% off expanded lineup – starts from $149
EcoFlow has officially switched to its next Black Friday Sale phase of deals with up to 80% discounts, plenty of FREE gifts, bonus savings, and more. Among the new lineup, we spotted EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro Portable Power Station bundled with 2x 220W solar panels and a FREE protective bag at $1,699 shipped, which is not only being exclusively offered direct from the brand, but is also dropping things lower than ever. One thing to note here is that, sadly, the extra savings code isn’t valid on this bundle. It would normally run you $5,199 for everything (including the $99 bag), with the bagless bundle at Amazon keeping lower at a starting rate of $3,999 and only dropping to $1,999 right now. This deal comes in $100 under its previous offer during the brand’s Halloween Sale, giving you a total $2,300 off the going rate ($3,500 off the MSRP) for the best new price that we have tracked anywhere. Be sure to head below to check out the newest phase of full Black Friday deals.
EcoFlow’s DELTA Pro power station is among the most beloved and highly rated backup power solutions from under the brand’s flag, and this solar bundle is quite the setup to grab now that it’s fallen so low in price. Covering away-from-home trips, as well as at-home emergencies, this station starts at a 3,600Wh LiFePO4 capacity that you can expand up to its 25kWh max with further investments. Your devices and appliances can receive up to 3,600W of regular power through the 14 output ports, with it even surging as high as 7,200W for those larger appliances that need more. You’ll be 440W closer to reaching its 1,600W max solar input, thanks to the bundled panels, with additional options for recharging from an AC outlet, as well as your car’s auxiliary port (or by using a compatible alternator charger).
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***Note: EcoFlow is continuing the usage of the promo code 25EFBFAFF at checkout for an extra 5% savings off your cart’s total, with none of the prices below having it factored in. Keep in mind that a number of offers are ineligible to receive the extra savings, but be sure to try it at checkout to ensure you’re getting the best possible savings during EcoFlow’s Black Friday Sale!
EcoFlow’s other direct Black Friday website-only deals/bundles:
RAPID Mag Qi2 10,000mAh 15W magnetic power bank: $55 (Reg. $90)
RAPID Mag Qi2.2 10,000mAh 25W magnetic power bank with built-in cable: $70 (Reg. $100)
DELTA 2 (2,048Wh) with extra battery and 2x 110W panels: $899 (Reg. $2,646)
Save thousands for Black Friday on Samsung smart washer/dryers, refrigerators, ovens, and more starting from $269
As part of Samsung’s ongoing Black Friday Sale event, we’re seeing deals that can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars on the smartest home appliance upgrades, including the Bespoke AI All-in-One Ventless Washer/Dryer Combo at $1,999 shipped, which is actually going for $110 less at Best Buy. There’s also the newer Vented Bespoke AI All-in-One Combo at $1,999 shipped, which you won’t find at Best Buy. The ventless model normally fetches $3,299 without discounts ($3,099 for the vented counterpart) direct from the brand, and starts lower at $2,970 at Best Buy, with 2025 having seen it more often down at $2,199 during sales. While we have seen it go lower in the past, especially 2024, you’re otherwise looking at the best prices we have tracked this year, letting you upgrade to a smarter way to do laundry with up to $1,300 savings, or save more by going with Samsung’s open-box option for $1,599 on the washer/dryer’s sale page down on the right-side options.
Alongside the washer/dryer combos above, we’ve curated a full list of Samsung’s best Black Friday appliance deals on other washers, dryers, refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, and more that you can browse by checking out our original coverage of this sale here.
Autel’s MaxiCharger AC Lite level 2 EV charger grants up to 50A speeds at new $398 Black Friday low (Save $171)
Lectric XP4 Standard Folding Utility e-bikes with $326 bundle: $999 (Reg. $1,325)
Lectric XP Lite 2.0 Long-Range e-bikes with $449 bundles: $999 (Reg. $1,448)
Heybike Mars 2.0 Folding Fat-Tire e-bike with Black Friday gift: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
Heybike Ranger S Folding Fat-Tire e-bike with Black Friday gift: $999 (Reg. $1,499)
Best new Green Deals landing this week
The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.