Tesla's first production car, launched in 2008, was based on the Lotus Elise.
The first-generation Tesla Roadster used a modified Lotus Elise chassis and body structure. Tesla replaced the conventional powertrain with an electric system using a lithium-ion battery pack, an electric motor, and power electronics. This approach allowed Tesla to enter the car market with a lightweight sports car before developing larger-volume models.
Production began in 2008, and the Roadster became notable as the first highway-capable electric vehicle to use lithium-ion battery cells in a commercially significant way. It also demonstrated that an electric car could deliver sports-car acceleration rather than being marketed only for economy.
The Roadster is sometimes confused with the later Tesla Model S, which was Tesla's first mass-produced sedan. It is also distinct from the second-generation Roadster announced years later. Lotus supplied important structural expertise, but Tesla developed the electric drivetrain and battery system.