Tesla's Original Roadster: Price, Specs and Range of the Vehicle That Sparked the Electric Revolution

Tesla released the original Tesla Roadster in 2008

Alexandre Prévot from Nancy

In 2008, Tesla Motors, now known as Tesla, Inc., introduced the world to the first high-performance electric vehicle, the Tesla Roadster. Launched when gas-guzzling cars ruled the roads, the Roadster represented a paradigm shift in the automotive industry. Let's look back at the Roadster's origins, development, and impact on the automotive world.

Birth of a Legend — The Roadster's Timeline

In 2004, Tesla Motors was created by engineers Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning with the goal of revolutionizing the automotive industry. Elon Musk joined the company as its chairman and lead investor and is considered one of the founders of the company. The company's first project aimed to develop an electric sports car, and in 2006, the prototype of the Tesla Roadster was revealed. Production began in 2008, with the first Roadster delivered to Musk in February of that year.

The Roadster was an important milestone for Tesla because it was the company's first production vehicle. Before the Roadster, Tesla had only produced a prototype electric vehicle, which was used to generate interest and secure funding for the company.

Musk's Vision in Quotes

Musk, the 2021 Time Person of the Year, had high hopes for the Roadster. In a 2008 press release, Elon Musk stated. "The delivery of the first production Tesla Roadster marks a great historical milestone along the way to Tesla becoming one of the great car companies of the 21st century. The Roadster now in production is just the first of a series of models from Tesla, soon to be followed by our 4 door sports sedan. Eventually, Tesla Motors will offer a full line of electric vehicles, leading the way in the changeover from gasoline cars to an electric future."

In an interview with The Telegraph in 2012, Elon Musk explained, "With the Roadster, we wanted to create a product that would break the mould and convince people that an electric car could be cool, sexy, and fast."

In a 2008 interview with the New York Times, Musk said, "The goal of Tesla is to accelerate the advent of sustainable transport. If we could have done that with the first version of the Roadster, we would have. But we can't." (Source: The New York Times, Nov. 2, 2008)

The interior of the original Roadster features two screens

Tesla

During a presentation at the Cleantech Forum in San Francisco in 2008, Elon Musk stated, "I think the Roadster has had a significant catalytic impact on the industry. And the intent with the Roadster was to change the image of electric vehicles."

In a 2011 interview with Autocar, Musk talked about the Roadster's production: "The Roadster has been a great success, proving that we could make an electric car with the range and performance of a petrol sports car, but we always knew it was a stepping stone to producing more affordable, mainstream cars."

Musk also saw the Roadster as a way to pave the way for Tesla's future vehicles. But, he said, "The Roadster is not our end game; it's just the beginning. We want to use the technology we've developed for the Roadster to create more affordable electric vehicles that can be used by the masses."

The Lotus Connection — The Roadster's Foundation

The Tesla Roadster was based on the Lotus Elise, a lightweight, two-seat sports car from the British automaker Lotus. Tesla Motors collaborated with Lotus to develop the Roadster, leveraging the expertise of the established automaker. The Roadster borrowed the Elise's chassis, but its drivetrain, battery system, and body were unique to the electric vehicle. The final product was a marriage of cutting-edge electric vehicle technology and the timeless appeal of the sports car.

The Tesla Roadster has also left a mark on popular culture with its appearances in various films and television shows. For instance, the Roadster made a cameo appearance in the 2010 film "Iron Man 2," which was driven by Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr. This appearance further solidified the car's status as a symbol of cutting-edge technology and sustainable luxury. Musk also appeared briefly in the Marvel movie.

Unrivaled Performance — 0 to 60, Top Speed and Range

The 2008 Tesla Roadster boasted impressive specs for an electric vehicle at that time. Equipped with a 53 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the Roadster's max speed was 125 mph, with a range of 245 miles on a single charge.

The electric motor produced 248 horsepower and 200 lb-ft of torque, enabling the car to reach 0-60 mph in just 3.7 or 3.9 seconds, depending on the model. These performance figures were a testament to the capabilities of electric powertrains, showcasing that electric vehicles could be both efficient and exciting.

Original Roadster Price

When released, the Tesla Roadster carried a base price of $98,950, positioning it firmly within the luxury sports car market. Later versions sold for $120,000. Despite the high price tag, the Roadster was embraced by enthusiasts who recognized its significance in ushering in the electric vehicle era.

A Journey Beyond Earth — The Roadster in Space

In February 2018, Elon Musk's SpaceX launched the Falcon Heavy rocket on its maiden voyage with a unique payload onboard: Musk's personal Tesla Roadster. The car was sent into space as a symbol of human innovation and a nod to the powerful synergy between Tesla and SpaceX.

The Roadster, with a mannequin named "Starman" in the driver's seat, and the stereo system played David Bowie's "Space Oddity" on repeat, was placed into a heliocentric orbit around the sun. The vehicle now serves as a symbol of the limitless potential of human ingenuity and the boundless ambition that has driven the advancement of electric cars and space exploration.

The Roadster's Lasting Impact

Roadster was not without its challenges, however. The first models had issues with overheating and battery life, which required Tesla to make some adjustments and updates. In addition, Tesla faced problems with the car's transmission resulting in several recalls and updates.

In 2010, Tesla announced a battery upgrade program allowing Roadster owners to upgrade their battery packs to a newer and more efficient design.

Despite these challenges, the Roadster remained a popular vehicle among Tesla enthusiasts. As a result, the company produced approximately 2,450 Roadsters between 2008 and 2012, most of which were sold in the United States.

The 2008 Tesla Roadster began a new era in the automotive industry. It shattered the prevailing perception that electric vehicles were slow and unexciting, proving that they could compete with their gasoline-powered counterparts in terms of performance and driving experience. Moreover, the Roadster laid the groundwork for Tesla's subsequent models, which have continuously pushed the boundaries of electric vehicle technology.

A New Generation of the Roadster

In 2017, Tesla unveiled a new version of the Roadster, which promises to be faster and more powerful than its predecessor. The upcoming Roadster, boasting a top speed of over 250 mph and a range of 620 miles, aims to solidify Tesla's position as a leader in electric vehicle technology.

As a result of the Roadster's success, other automakers began to take notice and invest in electric vehicle research and development. Today, almost every major automaker has an electric vehicle in their lineup, and the market continues to grow at an unprecedented pace. In addition, governments worldwide are setting ambitious targets for adopting electric vehicles, and charging infrastructure has expanded rapidly to accommodate the increasing demand.

Tesla Roadster demonstrated the potential of electric powertrains to deliver impressive performance, efficiency, and environmental benefits. The Roadster's legacy inspires new generations of electric vehicles, pushing the industry toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. Although the Roadster is no longer in production, its legacy lives on in the current generation of Tesla vehicles and the company's commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of electric cars.

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Tesla to Start Using Audio and Vision in FSD V13.4

Whole Mars Catalog

With FSD V13.2.1 finally rolling out to HW4/AI4 vehicle owners this week, we’ve been super excited to see all the new features, including Park, Unpark, and Reverse in action for the first time.

However, that’s not everything - more is coming soon. We previously reported that Tesla is collecting audio input to build neural networks for audio, and now we’re learning that that capability will arrive in FSD V13.4.

Better Audio Handling

Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla’s VP of AI, mentioned that better handling of audio inputs is coming as part of FSD V13.4. That’ll be an interesting change, as the current handling of emergency vehicles on V13.2.1 is already pretty good.

Even better handling including audio inputs coming in FSD 13.4 https://t.co/LBdcRUUYM4

— Ashok Elluswamy (@aelluswamy) December 17, 2024

However, we’re sure that being able to recognize emergency vehicles audibly will improve detection speed and reliability. Similarly to vision, FSD will start analyzing all the sounds it hears, and look for signs of emergency vehicles.

FSD will be able to make a reasonable determination on whether the sound of the siren is approaching or just echoing off of nearby terrain or buildings using the Doppler effect. It’s a simple mathematical principle where the frequency of a sound wave increases as the source moves towards the observer and decreases as it moves away. 

Interestingly, Tesla will be using the internal microphone for this task - as there are no external microphones on any Teslas… yet. This microphone is sufficient for one simple reason - sirens are made loud enough for humans to hear them inside a moving car.

Better Than a Human

Some users have wondered how the vehicle will be able to distinguish between sirens on the radio and in real life. While I’m sure we’re not the only ones to have ever been fooled by a siren on the radio, Teslas won’t be as easily fooled.

Tesla could actually take the audio going out to the radio and remove it from the sounds captured by the microphone, effectively removing sirens from the captured audio. In addition to being able to measure the intensity and direction of the sound, your vehicle should be able to accurately recognize emergency vehicles, even before a human can.

Opt-In Audio Sharing

Tesla is now allowing FSD users to opt-in to sharing audio data. The prompt for sharing audio data is on FSD V12.5.6.4, V13.2 and V13.2.1. It’s also expected to be in the upcoming Hardware 3 version of FSD 12.6.

However, it’s worth noting that Tesla’s release notes between V13.2 and V13.2.1 changed slightly for audio sharing. Tesla initially mentioned that the vehicle would capture 10-second audio clips when a siren is heard.

In FSD V13.2.1, Tesla updated the data sharing feature, letting users know that audio recordings are now said to be captured when the vehicle detects an emergency vehicle instead of detecting a siren. The audio clip is also not limited to 10 seconds anymore.

Opting into audio sharing will share microphone recordings alongside all the other data that Tesla regularly collects as part of its FSD training. Of course, if you're uncomfortable with that, you’ll be able to opt out of just the audio portion. Tesla’s privacy policy also discloses that they anonymize and sanitize the data during collection and processing.

While vision plays a much larger role, expect Tesla to deal with the capturing and analyzing of audio data in a very similar manner.

We’ve already seen improved handling for school buses on V13.2, so we’re excited to see what else Tesla does in the next few months. Perhaps handling school zones would be the next big item to tackle.

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Tesla Claims All Top 5 Spots for Most American-Built Cars

Not a Tesla App

As a Tesla fan, you’re likely already aware that most American-made cars are Teslas, but we wouldn’t be surprised if many people still think it’s one of the Detroit Big-3.

Tesla produces most of the parts for the North American versions of the Model 3 and Model Y in the United States, with some parts coming from facilities inside Canada, so it's all kept relatively local. As a background fact, both the study and the United States government consider parts from Canada as domestic content, and there is no differentiation between US-made or Canadian-made parts.

Tesla’s supply chain is designed with a strong emphasis on reducing transportation costs. By streamlining the movement of goods between part production facilities and their Gigafactories, Tesla not only lowers expenses but also secures its position as the leading manufacturer of American-made vehicles.

First, Second, Third, Fourth… and Fifth!

According to a study from American University’s Kogod School of Business, Tesla not only makes the most American-made car but actually makes the top five most American-made cars, with the Model S and Model X being tied for the number four spot.

The Model 3 and Model Y easily dominate the top two spots, coming in with US Domestic Content rates of 87.5% and 85%, respectively.

For comparison, the first non-Tesla on the list has an 80% rate, while the 10th most American car has a 73% rate. So, the Model 3 and Model Y are significantly more American-made than the other leaders on the list.

Every Tesla vehicle is mostly American-made, and even the Cybertruck is ranked 82.5% American just a year after its launch.

The closest competitor is Ford’s Mustang GT - in a couple of variants, meeting the 80% mark. Many would normally think Ford, GM, or Stellantis would have taken up all these spots, but this isn’t the case. In fact, tied for #5 is the Honda Passport with 76.5%.

Tesla not only produces some of the safest vehicles in the world, but they’re easily the most American made year after year. We’d love to see another study at the manufacturer level, where the maker’s whole lineup of vehicles is considered instead of just specific models. It seems that there would be a stark difference from number two.

With the current list of incentives running through the end of the year, now is a great time to buy a new Tesla.

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