Up-front manufacturing expertise matters, but I really do think that Toyota has relevant expertise in some other areas that, as you mention, Chinese manufacturers haven't yet proven themselves.

First, ongoing maintenance and parts support is really important. There will be collisions. There will be wear and tear. The parts supply chain and maintenance/repair documentation remains an important part of a manufacturer's ongoing reputation for quality. As newer automakers mature, we'll see where each one shakes up in the overall rankings for ongoing support of 5, 10, or 20 year old vehicles.

Second, an interesting thing is how automakers refresh updates by model year or even model generations. Does launching a new generation move things smoothly as the older ones are sold off and the newer model starts to show up? Interestingly, Toyota has a gap developing right now as it moves the Highlander from ICE/hybrid to full EV, with an unexpected delay in production of the new assembly line, so that it might have no Highlanders available for sale for a few months. That's the kind of challenge that different automakers will need to deal with. Tesla refreshes its models slower than a lot of traditional automakers, and that might make a difference in long term competition.

And one big advantage Toyota has over most traditional automakers is that it has the suppliers and supply chains for millions of batteries and electric motors per year. They're smaller capacity (usually less than 5 kWh for hybrids and less than 10 kWh for plug-in hybrids) than a typical full EV battery (usually 50-100 kWh), but things like regenerative braking and electric motors are well within their engineering expertise.

Another big advantage that Toyota has over startups is its very deep pockets where it can draw on its current profits and revenue to take the time to get things right, without relying on external financing from investors. They have the financial runway to afford to make a few mistakes on the way.