Car With Toilet? Patent Filed In 2025 Now Approved In 2026

Long drives don’t usually come with backup plans when things go wrong. If you’re stuck in traffic and can’t pull over, you’re just out of options. Seres thinks that gap is worth solving, even if the solution feels a bit unexpected.

The Chinese automaker, behind Aito models, has secured a patent for an “in-vehicle toilet and vehicle.” It was filed on April 22, 2025, and approved on April 10, 2026, under CN224104011U. So this isn’t just a random idea. It’s been properly engineered, at least on paper.

The setup is built around a compact toilet mounted on a sliding rail system connected to the seat base. Pull it out when needed and slide it back under the seat when you’re done. Simple concept, like a drawer hidden in the floor.

That’s the smart bit. It uses space that would normally be wasted, which is tricky to do in an EV. But then you think about the practical side. Plumbing, drainage, and where it all ends up. And even if they solve that, there’s still the smell in a closed cabin.

Like most patents, this might never leave the drawing board. But it does show how far some companies are willing to go when it comes to rethinking what a car can do.