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Tesla Roadster
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Tesla Roadster (Darkstar). 2008–12 (prod. 2,418). 2-door roadster. R/R, 53 kWh electric. Considered a heroic move when it was launched: an electric car that wasn’t a little city car, but a serious sports model priced at the levels of the Porsche 911 (997). Built by Lotus under contract—the Roadster was yet another variant, albeit a dramatically different one—of the Elise, it never looked the part, though it had its fans impressed with the immediate power delivery and wanting to be seen to be early adopters. Tesla used laptop battery ideas for its power cells, which worked in theory, though it was never designed for lengthy journeys. A promising entry among 21st-century electric cars, and paved the way for the far more convincing Model S in 2012. The company lost money on the Roadster despite the high price tag.


Manufacturing locations: Hethel, Norfolk, England; Menlo Park, California, USA

Marque: Tesla

 

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