Tesla’s electric sports car announced in 2017 is the second-generation Roadster.
Tesla unveiled the new Roadster at an event in November 2017 alongside the Tesla Semi. The planned model was presented as a high-performance battery-electric sports car and as a successor to Tesla’s original Roadster, which had been produced from 2008 to 2012.
Tesla claimed an intended 0-to-60-mph time of 1.9 seconds and a projected top speed above 250 mph for the new car. It also described a large battery pack and all-wheel drive, although the vehicle’s production timing changed repeatedly after the announcement.
The second-generation Roadster should not be confused with the original Roadster based on the Lotus Elise. The original model helped establish Tesla, while the 2017 announcement described a future, much faster flagship.