Electric drivetrains alone were never really regarded as a major competitive threat to the big carmakers. What has lit a fire under their ass is is the combination of electric, autonomous, and on-demand. This is disruptive, this scares them.
Google's autonomous driving efforts alone weren't taken too seriously either, but when rumours of Apple's interest in the space began to swirl, that's when the carmakers (including Tesla) got the message and suddenly all started scrambling to come up with a strategy to develop an autonomous OS. Fast forward 3 years and here we are, with stodgy old GM in a position of confidence.
Google's autonomous driving efforts alone weren't taken too seriously either, but when rumours of Apple's interest in the space began to swirl, that's when the carmakers (including Tesla) got the message and suddenly all started scrambling to come up with a strategy to develop an autonomous OS. Fast forward 3 years and here we are, with stodgy old GM in a position of confidence.