Tesla released the Roadster in 2008 as the first production car powered by lithium-ion battery cells.
The Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise sports-car platform, but Tesla replaced its conventional powertrain with an electric system. Its use of thousands of lithium-ion cells demonstrated that an electric vehicle could offer sports-car performance rather than serving only as a low-speed commuter car.
Tesla did not invent the electric car, and the Roadster was not the first electric vehicle in history. Earlier electric cars existed in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its importance was bringing modern battery technology and long-range performance into a production sports car.
The Roadster helped Tesla establish its technology and brand before the company introduced higher-volume models such as the Model S, Model X, Model 3, and Model Y.