Tesla's first production car was the Tesla Roadster.
The first-generation Roadster entered production in 2008. It used a lithium-ion battery pack and was based on the Lotus Elise sports-car platform, giving Tesla a relatively low-volume way to demonstrate that a battery-electric vehicle could offer strong performance.
Tesla was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning. Elon Musk joined as an early major investor and chairman, later becoming chief executive. After the Roadster, Tesla introduced the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y, greatly expanding production and market reach.
The Roadster is sometimes confused with the later second-generation Roadster announced by Tesla. The original Roadster was the company's first production vehicle; the newer model has been presented as a future high-performance car.