It's working just fine. Manufacturers are changing to EVs to avoid being caught in a future ban. Like OP said, there won't be anything left to ban, because the politic is successful.

A shorter scope wouldn't be as successful. If they banned fossil cars tomorrow, people would still drive them and the police couldn't do anything but fine people all day long. It would also result in a massive opposition potentially postponing the decision indefinitely. It would probably also be in conflict with other laws in several countries. An immediate ban might infringe on the right to property or such.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 days ago

Don't get me wrong, I didn't mean a distant 2080 target means the fleet won't shift - I just meant it's a sign of political cowardice which doesn't really benefit anyone, not least because, as you say, manufacturers need a stable predictable environment