2019 Tesla Roadster release date, specs news: Elon Musk confirms next-gen electric sports car

Before Tesla Motors focused all its efforts on developing electric sedans and sports utility vehicles, there was the Roadster, an all-electric sports car that went into production from 2008 to 2012. Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently confirmed plans to release an all-new Roadster in 2019.

In an exchange on Twitter on Christmas Eve, Uber design manager Jelle Prins asked Musk whether there would indeed be a new Roadster. The Tesla executive responded with, "Some years away, but yes."

Musk's recent comment appears to be consistent with statements he made a couple of years back. Tesla first hinted at the arrival of the next-generation Roadster in July 2015. In a blog post titled "The Dog Day" that announced the arrival of Ludicrous Mode, Musk said, "There is of course only one thing beyond ludicrous, but that speed is reserved for the next generation Roadster in 4 years: maximum plaid."

Then, in a conference call in the same month, Musk reiterated the same timeline, saying that the next-generation Roadster will "debut in four years."

Tesla has come a long way since the release of their first production car. The Roadster, based on the Lotus Elise, was an open-top two-seater all-electric sports car. It is known for being the first street legal electric vehicle (EV) to be equipped with lithium-ion battery cells. This allowed the Roadster to travel more than 200 miles on a single charge and go from 0 to 60 miles per hour (mph) in just 3.7 seconds. Despite only selling 2,450 models, the Roadster paved the way for Tesla to become one of the leaders in the electric car segment.

Since then, the company has released the Model S and Model X EVs and is currently gearing up for the release of the affordable Model 3. When news of the Roadster's return broke, many suggested that it be called the Model R so that it aligns with the nomenclature of Tesla's other vehicles.

Barring any major complications in its production, the all-new Roadster is scheduled to arrive sometime in 2019.