Tesla released its first Roadster in 2008.
The first-generation Tesla Roadster was produced from 2008 to 2012, with the first customer delivery taking place in February 2008. The recipient was Tesla early investor and chairman Elon Musk. Regular series production began on March 17, 2008, after earlier prototype and pre-production vehicles had been built.
The Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise chassis, with final assembly performed in California and chassis production taking place in the United Kingdom. It was a landmark vehicle: the first highway-legal serial-production car to use lithium-ion battery cells and the first production electric car advertised with a range exceeding 200 miles per charge.
Tesla had publicly revealed Roadster prototypes in July 2006, which explains why 2006 can seem plausible. That year marked the public unveiling, not the release or customer delivery. The 2010 option refers to a later model-year upgrade, while 2012 was the final production year.