Developing a new car model is not done in a few months, they take years. So it's understandable that car companies start to plan the future now.
They also don't know if the demand will follow an S-curve and when. Disruptive changes are difficult to predict (probably predictions 11-12 years ago said Nokia would still dominate mobile phone market in 2017 :D)
The demand will grow as battery prices go down, and range of electric cars increases. When an electric car has the same price and range than a petrol car (and probably before, as maintenance costs for an electric car are lower), there will be no rational reason to buy a combustion car. It's only a matter of time
They also don't know if the demand will follow an S-curve and when. Disruptive changes are difficult to predict (probably predictions 11-12 years ago said Nokia would still dominate mobile phone market in 2017 :D)
The demand will grow as battery prices go down, and range of electric cars increases. When an electric car has the same price and range than a petrol car (and probably before, as maintenance costs for an electric car are lower), there will be no rational reason to buy a combustion car. It's only a matter of time