Electric car Delco. These early cars were eventually withdrawn from the U.S. market. California electric automaker Tesla Motors began development in 2004 on what would become the Tesla Roadster (2008), which was first delivered to customers in 2008. The Roadster was the first highway legal serial production all-electric car to use lithium-ion battery cells, and the first production all-electric car to travel more than per charge. Tesla global sales passed 250,000 units in September 2017. The Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance achieved the milestone of 500,000 units electric vehicles sold in October 2017. Tesla sold its 200,000th Model S in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Tesla Model S of 104 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent ( or ). In 2016, Tesla updated the design of the Model S to closely match that of the Model X. , the following versions are available: 75D, 100D and P100D. In 2013, the Model S became the first electric car to top the monthly new car sales ranking in any country, twice leading in Norway, in September and December 2013 and also in Denmark in December 2015. Global Model S sales passed 250,000 units in September 2018. The U.S. is its leading market, with about 119,000 units delivered through December 2017. The