Tesla has reported record delivery numbers but fell short of its 100,000 target for the three months ending in September.

Shares in the electric car firm fell by 4pc after hours after it posted the figures, which show the company delivered 97,000 cars. The number falls short of average Wall Street estimates, which predicted the company would deliver 99,000 vehicles.

Tesla delivered 63,000 cars in the first three months of the year, and 95,200 in the second. It has previously said it aimed to deliver 360,000 to 400,000 cars this year.

Some analysts had speculated that it might break the 100,000 mark in the third quarter after chief executive Elon Musk reportedly emailed staff last month to tell them they "have a shot" at reaching the milestone.

The company has struggled with its logistics as it expands the availability of its most affordable car, the Model 3, to Europe and Asia. Tesla's share price has fallen by almost a third since its 2019 peak at the start of the year as Mr Musk's promises of continued profit failed to materialise.

It enjoyed two consecutive profitable quarters at the end of last year, prompting Mr Musk to tell shareholders that the years of losses were over, but it lost money in the first half of the year.