You are right, 48V batteries have been under discussion for a while, as mentioned by Sandy Munro "...since I joined Ford motor company in 1978".
A few models here and there, but not for every new car across all of their production lines. Tesla is now saying from Cybertruck, Optimus and all future vehicle designs, it will be 48V.
I guess time will tell, how well prepared the competition or even the battery manufacturers were for this move.
