Roadster: the expensive experiment that changed the brief

Deliveries of the original Roadster began in 2008. Built around a modified Lotus-derived structure, it paired thousands of small-format lithium-ion cells with an electric drivetrain.

The car made long electric range tangible and forced the industry to reconsider EV performance. It also exposed the difficulty of turning a prototype into a repeatable automotive product.

Nearly every later Tesla decision—battery integration, over-the-air software and direct customer relationships—can be understood as a lesson refined during the Roadster years.