What was Tesla’s first production vehicle?

Tesla’s first production vehicle was the Tesla Roadster.

The first-generation Roadster was produced from 2008 to 2012 and was based on the Lotus Elise sports car. Tesla modified the chassis and fitted it with an electric powertrain and a large lithium-ion battery pack. This made it one of the first production cars to use thousands of small-format lithium-ion cells.

The Roadster was important because it challenged the assumption that electric cars had to be slow or limited to short trips. Tesla reported a range of about 245 miles under the original EPA testing cycle, although later testing standards produced different figures.

The Roadster was not Tesla’s highest-volume model. Its limited production helped the company develop battery, software, and powertrain expertise before launching the Model S sedan. The Roadster name is also used for a planned second-generation Tesla sports car, which is a separate vehicle.