Tesla, Inc. delivered its first Roadster sports car to customers in 2008.
The original Tesla Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise platform and used lithium-ion battery technology. Tesla began customer deliveries in 2008, making the Roadster the company’s first production vehicle. Its electric powertrain demonstrated that a battery-powered car could be positioned as a high-performance sports car.
The Roadster was not Tesla’s mass-market sedan; the Model S followed in 2012. Nor was it the first electric car ever built. Its significance was that it helped establish Tesla as a specialist electric-vehicle company and provided experience in batteries, software, charging, and vehicle integration before the company broadened its lineup.