Europe Mounts Pitched Battle Against Tesla for Electric Car Lead

European carmakers including BMW AG, Volkswagen AG and PSA Group put on a brave face Tuesday amid mounting risks from the coronavirus outbreak, launching an electric-car offensive aimed at blunting the strength of Tesla Inc.

With the Geneva car show canceled due to the epidemic’s spread across the region, companies set up virtual displays and media calls with executives to recreate some of the buzz usually generated at the annual Swiss expo. The effort comes against a backdrop of sliding sales and disrupted supply chains as factories in China -- the epicenter of the virus and the world’s biggest car market -- are only gradually resuming output.