Don't call Tesla's slower-than-anticipated deliveries of Model 3 sedans a delay. It's merely been a "time shift", according to Elon Musk.

"You'll definitely get your car," the chief executive officer told CBS in an interview aired on Thursday. "It's a six- to nine-month time shift. That's literally it, and three of those months have already passed."

Musk has tested some customers' and investors' patience by struggling to resolve bottlenecks causing what he's described as "production hell". The period of manufacturing woes is lasting about two to three quarters longer than he thought, he said.

Elon Musk reiterated that Tesla was making progress on its Model 3. "As long as you can see that you're ascending levels of hell, that's OK," he told CBS. harvest films

The comments by Musk, 46, were somewhat inconsistent with Tesla's statement this month, in which the company said Model 3 may exceed the growth rate that Ford exhibited with the Model T. Tesla shares fell as much as 2.4 per cent and were down 1.7 per cent to $US295.85 as of 10.36am in New York.

To be sure, Musk also reiterated that the company was making progress. "As long as you can see that you're ascending levels of hell, that's OK," he told CBS. "Then at least that gives you hope. And I think we're rapidly - Tesla's rapidly on its way out of production hell."