Tesla created the first mass-produced electric car to pass 1 million global sales.
Tesla delivered its one-millionth vehicle in March 2020, reaching the milestone less than 12 years after the first Roadster deliveries. The Roadster, introduced in 2008, used a lithium-ion battery pack and was based on the Lotus Elise sports-car platform.
Tesla later expanded its lineup with the Model S, Model X, Model 3 and Model Y. The Model 3 and Model Y were especially important because they targeted much larger markets than the original Roadster and luxury Model S.
Tesla is often confused with the first company ever to build an electric car; electric vehicles existed in the nineteenth century. Tesla’s significance was its role in making modern long-range, software-focused electric cars a large-scale commercial product.