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You could arguably say they've been working on electric drivetrains longer than anyone with the EV-1, then volt, spark, bolt, etc..

Now were they GOOD drivetrains, I don't know. There are a lot of tradeoffs there I don't understand, like is AC induction what we want, or should permanent magnets be a part of the design.

An electric drive train is mechanically a lot simpler than a combustion engine based one. But you still need a battery management and charging control system to keep the battery alive. I think that this is the other half of the battle for efficient electric cars (besides battery chemistry and manufacturing).

I'm really hoping that the electric car future doesn't involve every manufacturer having to build their own network of charging stations.

>They have a lot of experience in every part of the car except the drive train.

and to this day they cant make a truck dash that doesnt crack after 5 years in Nebraska sun.