What the Gap Between Your Car Cup Holders Is Really For
For years, many drivers assume the narrow slot between their car's cup holders is just a quirk of the plastic molding, a design afterthought with no real…
What That Gap Is Really For
According to a popular explanation shared by drivers and hobbyist designers, that narrow slot between your cup holders is meant to hold grocery bag handles, or purse straps, while you drive.
Instead of letting shopping bags slide across the passenger seat or spill onto the floor, the handles slot into that center gap so the bag hangs securely between the cup holders. The idea is that it keeps groceries upright, stops drinks and fragile items from tipping, and prevents everything from shifting every time you brake or turn. Whether or not every automaker designed it with this in mind, plenty of drivers find it genuinely handy.