2008 Tesla Roadster Photos, engines & full specs

The first generation of the Tesla Roadster was the vehicle that started the electric car revolution in 2008 and set the trend for how a battery-powered automobile should be made to be successful.

In 1886, Carl Benz created the first vehicle fitted with an internal combustion engine, and just two years later, Andreas Flocken made the first EV. Soon, the battle between the two ideas had arisen. But that didn’t last too long, and gasoline-powered vehicles prevailed in the dawn of the 20th century. Even though they were noisier, smelled bad, and required a lot of maintenance, they had the advantage that they could carry their source of energy on board for long travels. At the same time, the electricity wasn’t available everywhere. As a result, there were few automakers who invested in battery-powered vehicles until the last decades of the century. Tesla launched the Roadster in 2008, and it was hugely successful despite the world financial crisis that followed. Part of its success was its look and performance. The car was built on top of a chassis carried over from Lotus, powered by an electric motor, and fed by 6,831 Li-Ion batteries.

At the front, the Roadster’s long nose and big headlights looked aggressive. Its trapezoidal air intake placed on the lower side of the bumper sported a mesh pattern, making the vehicle look even sportier. In addition, the automaker placed several louvers on the hood to help cool the electronic parts underneath it. Another unusual aspect of the vehicle was the single wiper mounted in the middle.

From its profile, the targa-style bodywork of the 2008 Tesla Roadster seduced customers looking for a sporty little car. Furthermore, the alloy wheels and the visible big rotors behind them emphasized the vehicle’s sporty character. Unusually for a mid-engined vehicle, the Roadster didn’t have air intakes on the sides since it didn’t need them. The removable rag top was stretched between the windshield’s upper rim and the safety arch behind the cockpit. However, Tesla needed to add a few details that impacted aerodynamics, such as the side sills with vents on their forward area and the door mirrors. At the back, the automaker installed a pair of taillights with three individual lamps that gave a significant character to the vehicle.

Inside, just like the Lotus Elise, the 2008 Tesla Roadster showed a minimalist design with a clean dashboard and a double-bubble-shaped instrument cluster fronting the driver. Unlike its British brother, the American electric roadster boasted a nicer interior featuring leather-wrapped sports seats and a unique center console that housed several buttons for various electronic systems. In addition, Tesla put a classic-looking gear selector for drive modes. On the left side of the driver, above the knob for the headlights, the automaker installed a display that monitored the battery and charging modes.

The 2008 Tesla Roadster was a new chapter in the automotive history. Even though it wasn’t the first EV on the market, it was the most successful thanks to its impressive performance. Its 252 PS (248 hp) were sent to the rear wheels and rocketed the car from naught to 60 mph (0-97 kph) in just 3.8 seconds. In 2008, that time was on par with most supercars on the market, or even better.