Tesla produced the Model S, the first Tesla vehicle built from the ground up as an electric car.
Tesla, Inc. was founded in 2003 by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, with Elon Musk joining as an early investor and chairman. The company's first production vehicle was the Roadster, which used a modified Lotus Elise platform. The Model S followed as a purpose-built electric luxury sedan.
Tesla unveiled the Model S in 2009 and began deliveries in 2012. Unlike the Roadster, the Model S was designed by Tesla as an electric vehicle rather than being based on an existing gasoline-car platform. Its long range, software features, and rapid-charging network helped make battery-electric cars more visible to mainstream buyers.
Tesla's Model 3, Model X, and Model Y later broadened its product range. The Model S should not be confused with the Model 3: the Model 3 is a smaller, more affordable sedan introduced later.