Skip to content
Markey
Theme: System (currently light)
Tesla ‘T’ emblem

Generation

Tesla Roadster

Tesla Roadster (first generation), 2008-2012

Produced
2008–2012
White Tesla Roadster photographed from the rear three-quarter angle with its soft top removed

Image credit

File
File:Tesla Roadster - Flickr - Alexandre Prévot (1).jpg
Author (attribution required)
Alexandre Prévot from Nancy, France

The article’s own performance claims for the Roadster are given only in imperial units (0-60 mph in 3.7 or 3.9 seconds depending on model, a 125 mph top speed), and only the top speed is stored here, converted like-for-like from mph to km/h. The 0-60 mph acceleration time is not the same quantity as the 0-100 km/h figure this site stores for every other car, so it is left empty rather than treated as an equivalent number.[1]

Torque is a genuinely different kind of figure from a combustion car’s: the Roadster’s 200 lb-ft (271 N·m) is available immediately and stays constant from 0 to 6,000 rpm, rather than peaking at one engine speed. The article is explicit about this being characteristic of the electric motor rather than an unusual spec for this particular car.

Mass, range and battery capacity are recorded identically for both trims: the article gives one weight and one EPA range figure for the whole generation, with no separate number published for the higher-output 2.5 Sport specifically, and the note on that trim says so.

Overview

Manufacturer
Tesla
Produced
2008–2012
Segment
S-segment (Europe) / Sports car (US)
Positioning
Premium
Assembly
  • Hethel, England (Lotus, chassis)
  • Menlo Park, California, US (final assembly)

Dimensions

Length
3,946 mm

[1]

Width
1,873 mm

[1]

Height
1,127 mm

[1]

Wheelbase
2,352 mm

[1]

Kerb weight
1,305 kg

2,877 lb, converted at 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg.

[1]

1.5

Trim · 2008–2009

Power
185 kW

248 hp, converted at 1 hp = 0.745699872 kW.

[1]

Torque
271 N⋅m

200 lb-ft, converted at 1 lb-ft = 1.3558179483 Nm. Constant from 0 to 6,000 rpm, a characteristic of the electric motor rather than a peak-at-one-point figure.

[1]

Kerb weight
1,305 kg

[1]

0–100 km/h
Not yet available
Top speed
201 km/h

Published as 125 mph, converted at 1 mph = 1.609344 km/h; a like-for-like speed conversion, not a change of quantity.

[1]

Electric consumption
Not yet available
Battery capacity
53.0 kWh

[1]

Electric range
393 km

244 mi, EPA cycle, converted at 1 mi = 1.609344 km.

[1]

Drag coefficient
Not yet available
Frontal area
Not yet available
Boot volume
Not yet available
Seats
2
Engine
single motor, 3-phase 4-pole AC induction
Drivetrain
Rear-wheel drive

2.5 Sport

Trim · 2010–2012

Power
215 kW

288 hp, converted at 1 hp = 0.745699872 kW.

[1]

Torque
400 N⋅m

295 lb-ft, converted at 1 lb-ft = 1.3558179483 Nm.

[1]

Kerb weight
1,305 kg

The article does not state a separate weight figure for the Sport specifically; the generation's single published kerb weight is used.

[1]

0–100 km/h
Not yet available
Top speed
201 km/h

Published as 125 mph, converted at 1 mph = 1.609344 km/h; a like-for-like speed conversion, not a change of quantity.

[1]

Electric consumption
Not yet available
Battery capacity
53.0 kWh

[1]

Electric range
393 km

244 mi, EPA cycle, converted at 1 mi = 1.609344 km. The article does not state a separate range figure for the Sport specifically.

[1]

Drag coefficient
Not yet available
Frontal area
Not yet available
Boot volume
Not yet available
Seats
2
Engine
single motor, 3-phase 4-pole AC induction
Drivetrain
Rear-wheel drive

Sources & confidence

Every figure above carries a status. Nothing on this page is estimated without saying so, and nothing missing has been filled in with a guess.

Last verified
2026-09-08
Review status
Compiled from cited sources

Photography on this page is credited on each image. Tap theion a photograph for its author, licence and source.

References

Every sourced figure and every cited claim on this page, numbered. Wikipedia articles record the revision they were read at, because the article will have changed by the time you check it.

  1. [1]

    Tesla Roadster (first generation). Wikipedia · revision 1366257605 · read 2026-09-08

    WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0