Tesla’s Roadster nameplate first appeared on the company’s original production car, an all-electric sports car that reached regular production for the 2008 model year and became Tesla’s first widely sold vehicle. Built during Tesla’s early Lotus-based era, it established the brand’s identity around battery-electric performance, low-volume exclusivity, and the idea that an EV could be desirable as a true sports car rather than a compliance car. The original Roadster ran through the early 2010s and is generally regarded as the model that proved Tesla’s concept in the marketplace.
After that first production run ended, Tesla revived the Roadster name for a new generation unveiled in 2017 as a future vehicle. This later Roadster represents a separate production period rather than a continuation of the original car. Tesla’s current official Roadster page presents it as an upcoming electric supercar with seating for four and a removable glass roof, positioned as a halo model that continues the nameplate’s performance-focused mission. Because the nameplate returned after a gap, the history of the Roadster spans multiple distinct eras: the original 2008–early 2010s production car and the later revived successor that remains forthcoming. That separation is important to preserve, since the two Roadsters share a name but belong to different chapters in Tesla’s product history.