Production chronology2008–2012
Sourced production or model lifecycle range used by the main catalog timeline.
Wikipedia infobox ↗5 years
← Tesla
Tesla / Model record
TeslaRoadster
Production2008–2012
Recorded originUnited States
ClassElectric car
Also known asDarkstar · Tesla Roadster 1
Built2,450 units
Background
The first generation Tesla Roadster is a battery electric sports car based on the Lotus Elise chassis, and was produced by Tesla Motors from 2008 to 2012. The Roadster was the first highway legal, serial production, all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells, and the first production all-electric car with a range of more than 200 miles (320 km) per charge.
Text adapted from “Tesla Roadster (first generation)” on Wikipedia ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · retrieved 2026-07
Chronology ledger
Dates with their meaning intact
Netherlands RDW first-admission observations2009–2014
First-admission years observed in Dutch vehicle registrations; this is market evidence, not a worldwide production range.
Netherlands RDW ↗6 years