Tesla delivered its first Roadster sports car to customers in 2008.
The first-generation Tesla Roadster was unveiled in 2006 and entered customer production in 2008. It was based on the Lotus Elise platform but used a battery-electric powertrain developed for Tesla. The car helped demonstrate that an electric vehicle could offer sports-car performance rather than being designed only for short urban trips.
The Roadster used lithium-ion battery cells and had a claimed range of more than 200 miles on a charge, depending on the version and test method. Tesla produced the Roadster from 2008 to 2012, with production ending after roughly 2,400 vehicles.
The Roadster is sometimes confused with the later Model S, which began deliveries in 2012 and was Tesla's first mass-market-oriented sedan. It is also distinct from Tesla's announced second-generation Roadster, which is a separate project.