Although yes "connected to the drive shaft" in a sense is how it works but there can be some great discussions of 3 phase motor design, torque demand motor control systems, power electronics, regenerative breaking... The list goes on and on
I've heard stories of almost-new Priuses being sold for a pittance or given away because the battery went - batteries are expensive to replace, but they're not quite as scary as some people think. They can be replaced with generics for $2000 and installed at home, and an article about how to do that would be an awesome idea.
