German automakers step up to Silicon Valley challenge

To combat the likes of Tesla, BMW is planning to expand its i Series line

One of the first things Ole Harms did after taking over Volkswagen’s new ride-hailing start-up was leave town.

Staid Wolfsburg, Volkswagen’s home, was not the best place for the automaker to mount a defense against Silicon Valley challengers keen to upend the car industry, and he needed to move.

“Nobody knows how the world is going to look” in the coming years, said Mr. Harms, a bearded 41-year-old dressed in a gray cardigan over a crisply pressed white shirt. “The biggest skill you have to have is the ability to change.”

So he packed up and took his team to new digs in