Chinese Seres and Huawei, the two owners of the sub-brand Aito, have patented an in-car toilet to “satisfy users’ toilet needs on long journeys, while camping or while staying in the car”. The voice-activated toilet is hidden under the passenger’s seat… and it actually appears to be quite cleverly designed.

Seres is one of the lesser-known Chinese auto manufacturers, founded in 2016 and with still limited availability in Europe. Together with Huawei, it owns Aito, a more ‘premium’ sub-brand featuring the tech giant’s smart cockpit and semi-autonomous driving systems. To make Aito stand out from the crowd, Seres and Huawei have patented an ‘innovative’ way to provide relief on longer journeys.

No-stink system

Indeed, an in-car toilet is still a rarity for anything other than RVs and campervans. But Seres thinks it has cracked the code for a more hygienic approach, without stinking up the interior of its electric SUVs.

The Seres in-car toilet is mounted on a rail below the passenger’s seat, making it easy to slide out and stow away without compromising on interior space. It can even be activated via voice command, although it seems like users will have to squat in front of the car seat to use it, which requires some space – and it might not be possible while driving.

When the deed is done, a fan and exhaust pipe channel odors out of the car, while a rotating heating element evaporates urine and dries solid waste. At the next pit stop, the in-car toilet can therefore be emptied out more easily. Some additional cleaning may be required, but this seems more like an emergency solution anyway.

A real plan, or just a thought exercise?

Of course, having this patent doesn’t necessarily mean that Seres or Aito will introduce the in-car toilet on any production vehicle. It could be limited to a thought exercise for its engineers or to prevent any competitors from coming to market first with this system.