Tesla’s first vehicle, the Roadster, can be a good investment, and loads of fun to drive. This little iconic car is what made Tesla the success it is today, and launched the EV revolution. Any car enthusiast understands limited supply (2400 built) first edition status, all means collectible some day. Before you jump in and buy one, here are some considerations:

If you have a 2010 to 2012 2.X Tesla Roadster, you have a 12 Volt battery buried under the front passenger wheel well, that needs to be replaced periodically.
The 2008 1.5 series Roadsters did not have this battery, borrowing power from two of the sheets in the ESS pack to supply 12 Volts.

If your Roadster is in the advanced stages of bricking, it will no longer wake up on its own. The cause is a dead 12 Volt battery which is no longer being charged from the main ESS battery pack DC-DC Converter in a 2.x Roadster

Buried deep inside most Roadster firmware, is a tribute to three early Tesla employees and pioneers.

As first generation Roadsters continue to age, some of the Power Electronics Modules (PEM) are reaching 11 years of age. There are components in this large electronics module that have deteriorated and are end of life, and overdue engineering change orders that if left unresolved, can cause failure or damage to a major sub-assembly no longer in production.

If your Roadster does not get charged for 2-3 months, it can drain the battery sufficiently to where the charge port will no longer allow you to charge, and a condition known as a “bricked” battery occurs.

The Tesla Roadster maintains a log file of events and activity that helps service staff understand how the cars are being used and how they are performing. A copy of this log file can be retrieved from the car using a USB thumb drive.
This log file is highly useful when diagnosing faults and is the first item we request during a Roadster service event.

What has become the most famous automobile in history, is coming back to earth with Starman, but not for long.

As first generation Roadsters continue to age, we are seeing a huge uptick and interest in our ESS battery pack recovery services. Roadsters easily reach a dangerous battery state called a bricked condition if the charge routine is disrupted for a length of time, and the result is a battery that can no longer be charged through the charge port, rendering it dead or bricked.

The finish on any car is under constant attack. Between road rash, rock chips, and parking lots, even the most well preserved car is going to end up with blemishes.