Tired of cleaning your car’s interior? Toyota is developing technology that would allow cars to clean themselves.
The automaker recently filed a patent for a self-cleaning car interior that uses UV light and sensors to detect and eliminate grime, dust, and germs inside your vehicle. As reported by HotCars, the system would identify dirty surfaces using built-in sensors, then zap them with targeted UV light to sterilize the area. It’s like having a car that tidies up after itself.
While still in the concept stage, this idea could be a game changer—especially for ride-share vehicles, family cars, or future robotaxis, where hygiene and cleanliness are top priorities. Anyone who’s ever spilled coffee or dealt with mysterious backseat stickiness can probably appreciate the appeal.
The patent describes a fully automated setup: sensors would continuously monitor interior surfaces, identifying when and where a mess occurs. Then the cleaning system would activate without the driver needing to do anything. Think less vacuuming between the seats, more letting your car take care of itself while you focus on driving (or not driving, in the case of self-driving vehicles).
Toyota isn’t alone in thinking about cleaner cars—Tesla has also explored self-sanitizing cabin systems, including ones that use vapor and UV light to disinfect.
As interest in health and hygiene grows, particularly in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, innovations like this could become part of the standard car-buying checklist.
Of course, it’s just a patent for now, not a production feature. But it offers a glimpse into how automakers are thinking beyond performance and efficiency—and starting to treat our vehicles more like living spaces that should stay as clean as they are comfortable.
If the tech pans out, Toyota’s system could usher in a future where scrubbing floor mats and wiping down dashboards becomes a thing of the past. One day, your car might clean itself before you even realize it’s dirty.
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