Tesla Using AT&T Service in Cars

Tesla Motors, the electric-car maker led by billionaire Elon Musk, picked AT&T to provide high-speed wireless service to its vehicles, giving the carrier a boost in its effort to expand beyond mobile phones.

All Tesla cars come equipped with AT&T network chips, which allow two-way connections for services such as roadside assistance and stolen-vehicle location. The Tesla service also includes Internet access, navigation and entertainment on a 17-inch (43-centimeter) touch screen. Terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed. Tesla, which sells its cars directly to consumers at prices starting at about $70,000, is AT&T’s latest connected-car partner. “Tesla is the most appealing car to technophiles,” said Roger Entner, a wireless-industry strategist with Recon Analytics in Dedham, Massachusetts. “Connecting cars makes a tremendous amount of sense.”