The next time you don’t spill hot coffee in your lap while driving to work, you might want to thank Chris Fischer. He’s a vehicle development engineer at Nissan’s North American tech center in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Chris is one of the people responsible for making sure your car’s cupholders actually work in the real world.
It might sound simple, but designing a cupholder is surprisingly complex. Automakers like Nissan have to stay one step ahead of the world’s cup, coffee, and container manufacturers. Every year, new bottle shapes and coffee cup sizes hit the market, and drivers expect their car to handle them all without a second thought.
Chris and his team spend a lot of time testing different cups, mugs, and bottles in prototype vehicles. They look at everything from grip and stability to how easy it is to reach your drink without taking your eyes off the road. The goal is to make sure your morning coffee doesn’t end up in your lap—or worse, all over your car’s interior.
The next time your cup fits just right, or you hit a pothole and your drink stays put, remember there’s a team of engineers behind that small but important detail. It’s a reminder that even the simplest features in your car are the result of thoughtful design and a lot of real-world testing.
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