Reborn Tesla roadster for 2018

The world's most renowned electric car-maker, Tesla, is forging ahead with a new product plan that will see three new models launched in the coming years.

German website Autobild.de is reporting that the after the launch of the Tesla Model X – an electric SUV due in 2015 – the company will reveal a follow-up to its first car, the Roadster, plus a new small sedan and even a compact city car.

Unlike the original 215kW/400Nm Roadster, which first came to Australia in 2011 priced at a heady $206,000, the new sportster is unlikely to be a collaboration with Lotus and could take on the name Model R.

The German publication cites Tesla sources as claiming the new Model R could arrive by 2017, but this seems at odds with the company's partially-known product schedule. The Model X SUV is due in 2015, followed by the Model III, a smaller Audi A4-sized sedan in 2017. There's also rumours of a compact and affordable sub $40,000 Model C city car in the works.

Sales of a Tesla Model R sports car will always be lower than the aforementioned vehicles as it's a niche model, which is likely to relegate its importance in terms of product planning and deployment.

Nevertheless, the company remains committed to its two-seat sports car, CEO Elon Musk previously confirming a second generation sports car is in the works. It will need to eclipse the previous Tesla Roadster's 4.0 second 0-100km/h sprint and 360km cruising range to remain relevant.

The luxury car-maker is focussed on producing volume-selling vehicles first and foremost, and the Model X crossover will certainly boost output in the next few years, followed up by the Model III small sedan.

Tesla's ambitious expansion plans hinge on the completion of its much-vaunted Gigafactory, which will allow the electric car-maker to aggressively increase its global market share by boosting manufacturing capacity from the current 10,000 cars per year to a claimed 500,000 vehicles per year by 2020.

Despite Tesla still looking for sites to build its Gigafactory, the company's share price continues to rise, closing at more than $250 per share in early August 2014, up from around $16 in mid 2010.