The first-generation Tesla Roadster is a battery electric sports car based on the Lotus Elise chassis, built from 2008 to 2012. It was the first highway-legal, serial-production electric car to use lithium-ion cells, and the first production electric car with more than 200 miles of range. Its rear mid-mounted motor drives through a single-speed BorgWarner gearbox. About 2,450 were sold. This example is a 2008 Tesla Roadster in blue over a black interior.