Tesla Roadster (first generation)
The Tesla Roadster is a battery electric vehicle sports car, based on the Lotus Elise chassis, produced by Tesla Motors (now Tesla, Inc.) 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 to travel more than 244 miles (393 km) per charge. It is also the first production car to be launched into deep space, carried by a Falcon Heavy rocket in a test flight on February 6, 2018.
| Tesla Roadster | |
|---|---|
Tesla Roadster Sport 2.5 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Tesla Motors |
| Also called | DarkStar (code name) |
| Production | 2008–2012 |
| Assembly |
|
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Two-seater/sports car (S) |
| Body style | 2-door roadster |
| Layout | Rear mid-motor, rear-wheel drive |
| Related | |
| Powertrain | |
| Electric motor | 3-phase 4-pole AC induction motor
|
| Transmission | 1-speed BorgWarner (8.27:1 ratio) |
| Battery | 53 kWh lithium-ion |
| Electric range | 244 mi (393 km) (EPA) |
| Plug-in charging | 16.8 kW 110–240 V onboard charger for 1ϕ 70 A using proprietary connector |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 92.6 in (2,352 mm) |
| Length | 155.4 in (3,946 mm) |
| Width | 73.7 in (1,873 mm) |
| Height | 44.4 in (1,127 mm) |
| Curb weight | 2,877 lb (1,305 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Tesla Roadster (second generation) |
Tesla sold about 2,450 Roadsters in over 30 countries, and most of the last Roadsters were sold in Europe and Asia during the fourth quarter of 2012. Tesla produced right-hand-drive Roadsters from early 2010. The Roadster qualified for government incentives in several nations.
According to the U.S. EPA, the Roadster can travel 244 miles (393 km) on a single charge of its lithium-ion battery pack. The vehicle can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 km/h) in 3.7 or 3.9 seconds depending on the model. It has a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). The Roadster's efficiency, as of September 2008, was reported as 120 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (28 kW⋅h/100 mi) (2.0 L/100 km). It uses 21.7 kWh/100 mi (135 Wh/km) battery-to-wheel, and has an efficiency of 88% on average.