Changan’s Deepal brand wants to let you soak your feet in the car. Deepal Automobile Technology has filed a patent in China for a “vehicle-mounted foot washing device and vehicle”, a basin that folds away into a cavity in the car when it isn’t needed.
The application was filed with the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) on July 31, 2026 and published on October 9 as CN 122873858 A, with Wu Kai and Zhang Biao listed as the inventors.
In the patent, Deepal says that on long journeys, occupants’ feet stay in much the same position for hours and can get sore and tired, which is why some cars now come with foot massage or foot care devices. These are usually separate units or fixed in place, so they take up space, and the fixed ones get in the way of occupants’ legs. Deepal’s answer is to hide the basin away when it’s not being used.
Slides out on rails, then unfolds on a scissor linkage
The main example in the patent puts the cavity under a seat, formed by the body structure beneath it, and the drawings show the basin sliding out from there. In other versions, it sits in front of the front passenger seat or in the boot, with the patent saying the location can be chosen to suit the cabin and where the occupants sit.
The basin moves out on guide rails, driven by an electric motor through a lead screw, a rack and pinion or a cable, with dampers to soften the movement and stops at each end. Once it’s out, an X-shaped scissor linkage pushed by a spring unfolds it into a tub.
The basin has a rigid base and rim, with flexible side walls that collapse when it folds. A lock holds it either folded or open, using spring clips, magnets or both.
To keep the water from sloshing around when the car moves or vibrates, there’s a divider inside the basin with holes in it, which breaks up the flow and stops the water from slamming into the sides. The divider can have a rubber buffer layer and folds up with the basin.
Plumbed in, heated, with massage rollers and UV cleaning
The basin is meant to be connected to the car’s power supply, a water supply and a drain line, which the patent says could be a drain pipe added to the vehicle. It hooks up through self-sealing quick couplings with spring-loaded check valves, so it can be unclipped and taken out for cleaning, and it has a manual drain plug for when it’s been removed.
The heater comes with water level and temperature sensors. It won’t heat if the water is too low, it cuts power if the water gets too hot, and the basin stops filling once the water reaches a set level so it doesn’t overflow. Rollers on the floor of the basin, driven by an electric motor, can do rolling, reciprocating or fixed-point massage.
It’s all run by a control module linked to the car’s infotainment system over CAN or LIN, which shows the status and lets you adjust the massage mode, water temperature and running time. There’s also a Bluetooth button to extend and stow the basin and to start the massage, heating and draining. After the basin is stowed, UV lamps in the cavity disinfect it.
Locked out while driving
The patent also describes a set of interlocks. The basin can’t be extended while the car is being driven, and heating, draining and disinfection are blocked too. Heating, massage and draining won’t start until the basin is fully unfolded, and heating and massage are blocked if the water level is too low. If the water gets too hot, the heater shuts off and an alarm goes off.
The UV disinfection only runs when the basin is fully stowed and locked, the car is parked or switched off, no one is inside and the device is on standby.
No word on production
A patent application doesn’t mean the foot bath will make it into a production car. Deepal hasn’t said which models it could go into or when, and its customer service told Chinese media it had no information on the patent.
Deepal isn’t sold in Malaysia yet. Bermaz Auto ended its deal to distribute the brand in June without having sold a single car, but Changan said in April that it would enter Malaysia itself in the third or fourth quarter of this year, with the Deepal S05 and S07 among the models being considered.
