Tesla sales 1.83 million vehicles By 2023, global car sales will increase by 23% over the previous year. This sales volume is enough to occupy approximately 19% of the global pure electric vehicle market. Today, Tesla is huge. While we’re used to seeing examples of the Model S, Model 3 and even the Cybertruck on the road, some may not realize that the brand’s original production vehicle was a sports car and that it repurposed parts from Lotus.
Shown on AutoHunter is this 2008 Tesla Roadster with 43,000 miles on it. The car is being sold by a private seller in New Orleans, Louisiana, and the auction will end on Monday.
Tesla first forayed into electric vehicles 15 years ago when the company chose to use the Lotus Elise body and chassis. Body panels, including the bumpers, are made from carbon fiber to save weight.
Unlike its Lotus sibling, this two-seater gets its power from a three-phase, four-pole induction electric motor mated to a single-speed BorgWarner automatic transmission (rated at 248 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque). Juice is provided by a 53-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that can travel about 244 miles on a full charge. Efficiency is further improved with a regenerative braking system – one of the first in the industry.
Specs aside, how about performance? Tesla claims the Roadster can hit 60 mph in about 3.9 seconds and has a top speed of 125 mph. Compared to the car’s Lotus Elise body-double, it’s about half a second quicker to 60 seconds. So yes, this car can move.
According to the listing, this Roadster retains much of its original configuration, although the stereo has been replaced with an aftermarket JVC unit. The car’s CARFAX report was initiated in 2009 in Oceanside, California, showing accident-free title in California and Louisiana. Maintenance of electric vehicles looks very different from internal combustion engine vehicles, but some service items do appear in the historical record, including wheel repairs.
According to Tesla’s website, the company is working on developing another Roadster. It will reportedly have performance figures that far exceed those of the original car: 0 to 60 mph in 1.9 seconds, a top speed of 250 mph, and a range of 620 miles. “Roadster maximizes the potential of aerodynamic engineering with record-breaking performance and efficiency,” Tesla said.
It remains to be seen if and when Tesla delivers on these promises, so for now, sit back and admire the car that started it all for Tesla. Only 2,450 Roadsters were delivered worldwide between 2008 and 2012, so the rest are collector’s items and will become increasingly popular in the coming years as new Roadsters debut.
The auction for this 43,000 mile 2008 Tesla Roadster will end on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 11:45 AM PDT
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and photo gallery
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