A Chinese car manufacturer has recently submitted a patent for vehicle seats that include a concealed toilet.

      Chinese automobile manufacturer Seres, the creator of the Aito vehicle brand, has received a patent for a toilet designed for vehicles. Yes, you read that correctly—a toilet for your car. Patent number CN224104011U was submitted in April 2025 and officially approved on April 10, 2026.

      While this may seem amusing to many, the design is quite clever. The toilet unit is concealed beneath the car seat and is mounted on a sliding rail system. When needed, you can pull it out using the rail system.

      Once finished, it can be slid back under the seat. The entire setup is designed to occupy as little space as possible, which is crucial in small vehicles and electric cars where the battery packs already take up most of the underfloor area.

      Is this really a new concept?

      Kind of. According to CarNewsChina, another company, Polestone, had a similar concept previously, but their version mainly consisted of a toilet seat stored in the center console with disposable plastic bags.

      You could think of it as an upgraded camping toilet. Looking at the designs, I'm unsure if Polestone was serious about it or just pursuing marketing strategies. Seres' design advances the idea by fully integrating the unit into the seat itself, making it the most practical in-car toilet concept proposed so far.

      Will it go into production?

      That’s where it gets tricky. Obtaining a patent is one thing, but actually incorporating this into a vehicle poses different challenges. The engineering hurdles are considerable: drainage pipes must fit into an already compact chassis, wastewater has to be managed, and the sealing needs to be airtight to prevent unpleasant odors in the car.

      There's also the psychological hurdle. Even with lids and fragrances, persuading people to use a toilet inside a vehicle will be a challenging sell. Personally, I wouldn’t want a toilet in my car.

      However, I don’t often undertake long drives through desolate areas for hundreds of miles. If you frequently take extended journeys without restroom facilities, this might be just what you need.

      Seres seems to recognize the psychological barrier, so for now, the design is likely to be presented as an optional feature instead of a standard one. Whether it ever goes beyond a patent application remains uncertain.

      China has become a center for automotive innovations. We're witnessing ultra-fast EV charging capabilities, longer ranges on a single charge, and more, capturing the attention of even U.S. car buyers. In this context, this patent might seem trivial, but at least Seres is thinking creatively.