It's a fallacy that the free market, on its own, will fix all economic and social woes. In this case, the fixed costs are so high that it's hard for any company to produce EVs without the government helping. The mandates will kickstart the sector. There will be a point where the companies will be able to survive at which time the mandates and governmental incentives will end. Also, the gas power car manufactures have reached "economy of scale" which makes those vehicles relatively cheap in comparison to EVs which means people will be attracted to the cheaper cars making it next to impossible for EVs to get a foothold.

The mandates are a must to guide the industry in the right direction.