The Model 3 arrives Friday — here's a look at how Tesla's cars have evolved over the years (tsla)

Elon Musk

Tesla's big party for the Model 3 kicks off on Friday.

The electric automaker will reveal the production version of its long-awaited sedan to the first 30 customers who ordered one at a handover party. Tesla will then kick Model 3 production into high gear with the goal of producing 1,500 sedans in September and 20,000 cars in December.

We decided to take a look back at just how far Tesla cars have progressed, and within just the last year there's been a lot of change. Scroll down for a closer look.

Tesla garnered a lot of attention in 2008 when it released its very first electric car — the wildly sexy Tesla Roadster.

The Roadster Sport boasted a range of 245 miles and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. Its base price in 2008 was $98,000, according to Car and Driver.

Tesla sold more than 2,400 Roadsters across 30 countries, the company wrote on its webpage.

In 2012, Tesla released its Model S — the first luxury electric sedan on the market.

The car could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in five seconds and had a range of 265 miles per charge. It was named Motor Trend’s 2013 Car of the Year.

But the car was pricey at $106,900 before federal tax exemptions.

In late 2014, Tesla released two dual motor all-wheel drive configurations for the Model S, the world's first dual electric motor car.

It was also the first time Tesla made Autopilot, its semi-autonomous package, standard on every car. The car came in three versions — the 60D, 85D and the top-of-the-line P85D. Above you see the P85D.

The P85D could reach a top speed of 155 mph and could accelerate to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, outperforming the McLaren F1 supercar, Tesla wrote on its blog at the time.

The P85D had a range of about 285 miles and cost $71,200 MSRP, according to Car and Driver. But that model was discontinued in February 2016.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider