Wi-Fi feature becoming more common in cars

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Bill Begal's car functions as his mobile office. He runs a company and travels to different locations to clean up after floods and fires.

When he bought the car, he thought twice about getting his in-car Wi-Fi.

"I thought it would be silly to spend an extra $20 a month on something that I don't need. Then I realized it could be an absolute asset," he said.

Now Begal starts up his car and his electronics automatically hook up to an encrypted connection. His Wi-Fi password is saved in the car's system.

Begal can check his email, send proposals and even catch up on his favorite television shows between appointments.

The number of cars offering Wi-Fi is increasing each year. Car connectivity ranges from 3G to the faster 4G LTE, and drivers have to pay for the data that is used.

"In car Wi-Fi works by having the proper equipment installed in the vehicle and then you're going to have a cell modem in the vehicle that's going to then send out a Wi-Fi hotspot. At that point you just sync up your laptop, tablet and computer and then you're ready to go," said Ron Montoya with Edmunds.

Other than hooking up electronic devices to the car's signal, Edmunds said in the future the bigger benefit will be having the car linked to dealers and automakers.

Montoya said the car will receive updates and diagnostic information from the manufacturer when the vehicle is connected to the internet.

But, safety experts warn car owners not to drive distracted. AAA found any time a driver's brain is not focused on driving, they could be heading toward trouble.

So far, GM is offering Wi-Fi in the most vehicles from their smallest, least expensive cars to most of their trucks.