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Tesla is arguably the biggest name in electric vehicles in 2025, the American brand having revolutionized the automotive sub-category and forced even the largest and most established manufacturers to scrap between themselves to catch up. The shift towards EVs against a backdrop of governments worldwide wanting to reduce emissions from vehicles in recent years played perfectly into the hands of Tesla, which had already developed the technology significantly.

As a result, it can offer its vehicles at a cheaper price than historic brands like Ford and Volkswagen, but with superior range and technology. It wasn’t always like this though, and its first offering is now one of the most valuable EVs on the used market.

Tesla Wanted To Be At The Forefront Of EV Technology

From the moment Tesla was founded by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, it was looking to become a disruptor in the EV industry. Gas and diesel-powered engines were still the way to go for most manufacturers, though brands like Honda and Toyota had begun dabbling in hybrids and full EV tech. Feeling that mounting environmental issues would force a switch in focus before too long, Tesla decided to place all its chips on EVs. Following a fundraising exercise, which attracted the likes of current CEO Elon Musk to the party, it began developing its first model.

Wanting to make an initial splash before moving on to more mainstream designs, Tesla opted to develop an electric sports car. EVs had somewhat of a boring and ‘efficiency’ focused reputation at the time, and Tesla wanted to bring some spice to try and invigorate public perception. Development on the model, christened the Roadster, began in 2005, and eventually came to market in 2008. It was far from the first American EV, though.

The project was largely funded by Musk, who poured in around $70 million of his own cash, the South African becoming the company’s majority shareholder in the process. The sporty EV attracted attention from an early stage, with Tesla delivering 147 examples by the start of the following year, which helped launch it to the forefront of the EV industry. Sales didn’t pick up much in the following years though, with Tesla ending up building 2,500 units by the time production was rounded up in 2012.

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Tesla’s Sports Car Should Pay You Back In The Long Run

The Roadster started from $98,000 when it first hit the market in 2008 and, given how depreciation normally affects EVs, you’d be forgiven for expecting it to be a $10,000 bargain these days, given its age and old-fashioned tech compared to newer rivals. This is far from the case, partly due to it arguably being the first EV that drivers actually wanted, and secondly due to its exclusivity.

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Love it or hate it, the Roadster is an automotive icon, and it has held its value accordingly. While good-condition examples can be had for around $65,000 today, according to Hagerty’s Valuation Tool, ones in mint condition are worth around $116,000, nearly $20,000 more than when they were shiny and new in 2008. This is backed up by Classic.com, a site that collates auction listings from around the world. The site reports the average sale price of the Roadster is currently a shade over $106,000.

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The Roadster’s Value Has Dived Recently

While already sounding pretty valuable, wind the clock back 12 months, and it was worth even more. The model’s value has dropped by 22% across the board over the period, as per Hagerty, with good-condition cars valued at $84,000 just one year ago. Mint examples were worth a cool $150,000. The main reason for the drop is the brand’s recent sales slump following CEO Musk’s US government exploits, with many consumers turning their noses up at Tesla’s vehicles.

The sales plunge has caused Tesla’s market worth to drop from around $420 in mid-January to just $290 in late February, which is having a negative effect on used vehicles built by the brand, including the Roadster. Its sales also dropped for the first time in its history in 2024. It’s likely values will rise again once the situation blows over, though there’s currently no telling how long this could be.

The Roadster Was Based On A Lotus

Not wanting to get involved in the costly process of developing a car from scratch for its first album, Tesla entered into a partnership with British sports car manufacturer Lotus in 2005, where the brand would supply the chassis and underpinnings of its Elise model and provide technical assistance. Tesla essentially took the Elise and ripped out the Toyota-sourced engine and gearbox, as well as stiffened up the chassis to help deal with the heavier battery pack.

The Roadster, which ended up a considerable 850 pounds heavier than the Elise, also had a two-inch longer wheelbase. Tesla wanted the Roadster to handle as much like an Elise as possible, while utilizing an electric powertrain that refrained from pumping nasty greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. With Lotus’ input, the Roadster handled its significant weight well, and provided a fun and engaging drive.

The Roadster Used A Tonne Of Laptop Batteries

The headline feature of the Roadster was its huge battery pack, which was made up of 6,831 lithium-ion batteries that are normally found in laptop computers. Combined with a single electric motor, which sends its grunt to the rear wheels, the Roadster could really shift. The first Roadster to hit the public market, named 1.5, came with just shy of 300 hp, which was enough to get it from 0-60 mph in just 3.9 seconds.

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This was enough to challenge many supercars at the time, illustrating early on the performance potential of EV powertrains. While powerful, the Roadster’s propulsion system also clearly demonstrated the drawbacks of electric tech, with range and efficiency compared to established ICEs being a real concern. Despite being rated at 244 miles per full charge, the Roadster was known to barely hit 180 miles, even if you drove it carefully. Drive it like a sports car, and the range could drop to under 100 miles.

Everything has to start somewhere though, and the Roadster acted as the launchpad for Tesla. Just four years after the Roadster entered production, the company unleashed the Model S sedan, which proved a significant step forward.

A New Roadster Is Planned

Tesla has been developing a new Roadster model for over a decade, with plans for the car first emerging in 2012 before design and production woes continually pushed back its release date. It’s currently planned to emerge sometime in 2025, though given previous form, this date could also be knocked back. It’s set to feature a trimotor powertrain that brings between 1,000 and 1,200 hp, which should allow it to blast to 60 mph in just 1.9 seconds.

Musk has also hinted at some crazy technology that may be available with it, such as a SpaceX Thruster package that could allow the vehicle to hover. Whether it can end up being as iconic as its forerunner remains to be seen, but given its recent record with the polarising Cybertruck, expect to be surprised in some way or another.

Sources: Tesla, Hagerty, Classic.com