Chinese carmaker Seres granted patent for voice-controlled in-car toilet

Chinese automaker Seres has patented a toilet that deploys from underneath a passenger seat, activated by either a button push or voice command. The system addresses what engineers describe as the need to "satisfy users' toilet needs on long journeys, while camping or while staying in the car."

Unlike a motorhome's separate bathroom, passengers would literally sit atop the concealed toilet during regular travel. The patent includes a dedicated fan and exhaust system to remove odors from the cabin, plus a heating element designed to evaporate urine and dry waste.

Filed in April, the patent reflects Seres' expanding innovation beyond their typical electric SUVs sold in China. While the company hasn't announced production plans for toilet-equipped vehicles, the technology now exists on paper.

Seres operates globally through subsidiaries like SF Motors in Santa Clara, California, and collaborates with Huawei on the Aito electric vehicle brand, suggesting this unusual feature could potentially reach international markets.