Cost and opportunity. A transmission is hundreds to thousands of parts and requires a whole assembly line just for it. Motors are required no matter what and they’re simple to build compared to a transmission. They can be controlled via software, which is more reliable and cheaper than making a mechanical link with all real estate, personnel, energy, and resources required to make such systems.
Yep, we’ve all seen the hit articles. The $17.33 a gallon is hilariously stupid - iirc the article it came from ignores the immense energy required to extract, refine, store, and distribute gas/diesel as well as the externalities like military intervention in unstable areas to ensure it’s stable availability. The better EV’s get, the more of a threat they are to monied/entrenched interests who’d rather not see the transition to clean energy.