Elon Musk announced on X that the entire design and technology of the Tesla Roadster is now open source. The news was linked to the service portal on the Tesla website, where files containing schematics and other technical documents about the Roadster are available. Musk did not specify the reason for this move.
Tesla unveiled the Roadster on July 24, 2006. Following several delays, limited production began on March 17, 2008, with regular production ending in 2012. Approximately 2,450 Roadsters were produced and sold worldwide during its production period. The USA accounted for the largest sales market, with around 1,800 vehicles sold. The two-seater sports car is powered by a 215 kW electric motor in the rear.
The maximum torque of 370 Nm (400 Nm for the sport variant) is available at speeds from 0 to 5,400/min. The Roadster was developed in collaboration with AC Propulsion and Lotus. Its design bears a distinct resemblance to the bodywork of the British sports car manufacturer Lotus, whose facility in Hethel also handled the series production.
The Lotus Elise served as the reference point. The battery comprises 6,831 cells of lithium-ion 18650 size and stores 56 kWh. Tesla promised a range of 350 km. The base model of the car was priced at $109,000.
The next generation of the Tesla Roadster was announced in 2017 but has yet to hit the market. The timeline for its release remains unclear. In May 2023, Tesla stated that the launch had been postponed to “hopefully” 2024. Elon Musk disclosed this information during Tesla’s annual shareholders’ meeting in Austin, Texas.
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