A Chinese carmaker has made other auto companies sit up and take note of a patent it has been granted. Chongqing-based Seres has designed an in-vehicle toilet that slides under a passenger’s seat to help answer nature’s calls while on the road. Buses plying long distances often feature toilets. A special version of a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith in the 1950s was also pictured with a toilet fitted under a seat. But this is the first design of its sort. Imagine the usefulness of such a facility in a country like India—notorious for lacking clean public toilets, especially for women. More than the urge to transform long hauls, perhaps the invention reflects the need to stand out in China’s crowded EV market.