Apple More Interested In Taking Over Your Dash Than Becoming Just Another Automaker

The web at large nearly wet it pants when word got out that Apple might be working on an electric car of its own. In reality, if that's what Apple wants to do, the $700 billion company has the cash and resources to dive in, along with the connections. The company lacks experience -- building an electric car is a bit different than sourcing an iPhone -- though even that can be purchased (Apple is no stranger to poaching talent). But before anyone trips over themselves in a mad dash to the dealership to find out when they'll receive a shipment of iCars, let's slow down a moment and consider the more likely alternative.

It doesn't take a giant leap of faith to consider that it's your car's dashboard Apple is after, not the entire vehicle. There are many analysts that agree, and on the surface, it seems far more logical that Apple is working on a platform it can integrate into all the different car models out there, or as many as it can.

"If Apple was going to make a car, it would be ten times easier to just buy Tesla," Tim Bajarin, an analyst with Creative Strategies, told USA Today. "But Apple doesn't want a single branded experience, it wants in many, many cars."

There's quite a bit to chew on in that statement. Bajarin is right that it would be easier for Apple to make an acquisition rather than build an electric car from the ground up. That's how things are often done in technology -- Apple didn't develop Siri, it acquired it.

You also must consider that building an electric car from scratch would be a time consuming process. It's not as simple as putting together a technology and running with it -- there's a monumental amount of research and development that would go into such a thing, followed by safety approvals and lots of testing every step of the way. Bear in mind that Tesla was founded nearly 12 years ago.

I'm not saying Apple is definitely not working on an electric car, though I do think it's more likely the company is focused on integrating its technologies into vehicles. Less than a year ago, Apple introduced the world to CarPlay, a touchscreen and voice activated navigation system. At present, only Ferrari offers it, though it's expected that more will jump on board this year.

Something like CarPlay would fall more in line with what Apple's known for, and what's been working for company.