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When did Tesla release their first electric car?
I didn’t hear very much about Tesla when I was growing up but apparently, they were founded in the early 2000s. When did Tesla release its first electric car?
Marlee John · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Tesla has been around for over a decade even though, for many, they’ve flown under the radar. Tesla’s first electric car was the 2008 Tesla Roadster.
The Roadster, a fully-electric convertible sports car, was designed with the frame of the Lotus Elise, another sports car from the 1990s.
At the time of its release, the Tesla Roadster went for about $109,000 while the 2022 model is double that. The original car had a driving range of about 220 miles (354 km)–notably farther than the 2022 models of other manufacturers–and a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h). At the time, some people criticized the company and the car for only making EVs accessible to the elite.
However, Musk argued that the sales of this first expensive model will fund the development of future, more affordable models. With the most cost-effective Tesla (the model 3) in the $40,000 range with many other EV brands, I would suggest that Elon Musk predicted correctly.
If you’re hoping to buy any type of Tesla, you’ll need
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