Electric Vehicle Mobile Toilet
Seres obtained a utility model patent for a 'vehicle-mounted toilet and vehicle' on April 10, 2026. Its core design features a sliding-rail hidden toilet aimed at addressing the challenge of using the restroom during long-distance travel in new energy vehicles, though it faces multiple challenges such as space constraints, odor issues, and psychological acceptance.
Core Design Features
The toilet adopts a sliding-rail hidden structure, fully retracted beneath the driver and passenger seats when not in use, occupying no interior space. When needed, it deploys within 3 seconds via a single button or voice command (e.g., 'Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi, open the toilet'). It is equipped with a 5L sealed waste collection tank, a negative pressure deodorization system, constant temperature heating, disposable toilet bags, and a foldable privacy curtain, supporting both manual and voice control. The design is intended to address restroom needs during long-distance self-driving scenarios in new energy vehicles, such as highway traffic jams, traveling with children or elderly passengers, and camping in remote areas.
Technical Challenges and Limitations
- Space and Structural Constraints: The electric vehicle's chassis is occupied by battery packs, and adding new sewage piping requires passing through areas densely packed with wiring, increasing design complexity. The waste collection tank supports only 3-5 uses, and there is a risk of freezing in northern winters, necessitating additional insulation measures.
- Odor and Sealing Issues: The risk of odor diffusion is high in a confined vehicle cabin, and the probability of leakage increases as sliding-rail seals age, potentially affecting interior air quality. Long-term use may reduce the resale value of second-hand vehicles by 15%-20%.
- Low Psychological Acceptance: According to a 2025 survey, only 12.7% of Chinese consumers accept the idea of 'using the restroom in a vehicle,' primarily due to the awkwardness of the process, lack of social dignity, and limited practicality for daily commuting scenarios.
Differentiated Design Compared to Competitors
Previously, Ji Shi Automobile introduced a vehicle-mounted toilet accessory (placed in the central storage compartment), but Seres' patent integrates the toilet into the vehicle's structure through a 'systems thinking' approach, rather than simply adding a functional component, achieving a higher level of completion. However, this feature still requires frequent handling of waste, and the user experience during long-distance travel scenarios remains to be optimized.
