The EV maker was hit by COVID-19-related production stoppages at its main factory in Shanghai which slowed deliveries, and then sales were dimmed by global economic concerns that cautioned many potential buyers.

However, the 343,830 deliveries made in the third quarter was up 30 per cent from the 241,300 sales made in the previous corresponding period.

In a statement made this week, Tesla said: “it is becoming increasingly challenging to secure vehicle transportation capacity and at a reasonable cost.”

This announcement came just before Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted: “Smoothing out crazy end of quarter delivery wave to reduce expedite costs and relieve stress on Tesla team.”

Last year, he said Tesla was having a “crazy wave” of deliveries at the end of each quarter, because its Shanghai factory makes cars for exports to Europe and other countries in the first half of a quarter before making cars to be sold in China.

Reuters reported that Tesla had – again – asked Californian employees to help deliver “a very high volume of vehicles to eagerly waiting customers during the final days of Q3.”

Tesla on Sunday said it has “begun transitioning to a more even regional mix of vehicle builds each week, which led to an increase in cars in transit at the end of the quarter.”

Model X

Reuters said that Tesla set an ambitious target to produce almost 495,000 Model Y and Model 3s in the fourth quarter of this year.

Its production ambitions come against the backdrop of an increasingly gloomy outlook for global growth, with Musk himself telling top managers in June he had a “super bad feeling” about the economy and planned to cut staff.

During a conference call in July, Musk said at first that macroeconomic uncertainty might have some impact on demand for its EVs, but when pressed for details by an analyst, he said the company did not have a demand problem but a production problem.

Tesla expanded production capacity in Shanghai after a resurgence in COVID-19 cases forced a suspension at the plant and fueled the first dip in deliveries after a nearly two-year-long record run.

In September, Tesla’s vehicle order backlog fell, especially in China. It delivered 325,158 Model 3 compact cars and Model Y crossovers, as well as 18,672 of its Model S and Model X premium vehicles to customers during the quarter.

Aside from logistics, analysts were also concerned about demand for high-ticket items due to the weakening global economy.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives told Reuters after Tesla’s delivery results that: “The economy around the edges is still having a negative impact for Tesla that’s mostly logistical.

“But I think there is some demand (issues) sprinkled in there,” he said.

“There is a dark cloud over the auto sector. And Tesla is not immune.”

Ford has also been affected by logistics issues. It said last month that inflation-related costs would be $A1.4 billion more than expected in the third quarter and that parts shortages had delayed deliveries.

Images taken from a drone of 40,000 F-Series Ford trucks parked at an abandoned US speedway complex have appeared online.

Economic woes are also affecting other industries. Bloomberg reported that Apple said it is backing off plans to increase production of its new iPhones this year after an anticipated surge in demand failed to materialise.

But it may also be buyer caution. Investment trading company OANDA said: “EVs are in for probably a little bit of a rough patch, just because people are probably going to be a little bit hesitant and less urgent to buy something new.”

By Neil Dowling