One of the quoted experts opines that while some of the big established car manufacturers will survive, most “are running an uphill race with a parachute behind them while EV-first firms are sledding downhill.”

I think they have a point – existing manufacturers will have to spend a lot of time and energy divesting themselves of all the plants and workforce that will become useless, and/or converting and retooling facilities and retraining staff as they abandon the manufacturing of internal combustion engines and navigate the transition.

All of that necessarily involves looking backwards and takes mental energy away from future-forward product development. Companies that don't have to invest a significant part of their management resources in dealing with legacy have a potential advantage.