
Tesla motors was formed to develop an electric sports car. Eberhard was Tesla’s chief executive officer (CEO) and Tarpenning its chief financial officer (CFO). Funding for the company was obtained from a variety of sources, most notable PayPal co founder Elon Musk , who contributed more than $30 million to the new venture and served as chairman of the company, beginning in 2004.

In 2008 Tesla Motors released its first car, the completely electronic roadstar. In company tests, it achieved 245 miles (394km) on a single charge, a range unprecedented for a production electric car. Additional tests showed that its perfomance was comparable to that of many gasoline-powered sports cars :the roadstar could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles (96km) per hour in less than four seconds and could reach a top speed of 125 miles (200km) per hour.

The lightweight car body was made of carbon fibre. The Roadstar produced no tailpipe emissions, as it did not use an internal-combustion engine. Tesla motors found that the car attained efficiency ratings that were equivalent to a gasoline mileage of 135 mile per gallon .The vehicle’s electric motor was powered by lithium-ion cells — often used in laptop/ computer batteries- that could be recharged from a standard electric outlet.
Despite a federal tax credit of $7,500 for purchase an electric vehicle, the roadstar’s cost $109,000 made it a luxury item.






