The Auto Industry’s To-Do List for the Electric, Self-Driving Future

The car industry faces its biggest technological transformation since the automobile was invented more than a century ago, with self-driving systems, wholly battery-powered models and ride-sharing initiatives now at the center of attention. The cosmic overhaul is leaving no manufacturer untouched, and companies are reacting to avoid being steamrollered by the revolution.

The latest example: Continental AG, the German tire and car-parts giant, is in the early stages of exploring options with advisers that could split it into separately listed business, according to people familiar with the matter. The overhaul would give divisions with diverging technologies the resources to focus on their own developments. The marketplace shift will make it harder to make money producing less-advanced mechanical parts as fewer combustion-engine cars are made.