It will go by registration date; said many times by who? I've heard it, but I don't know that I can say I have reliable sources. In contrast, the Terms and Conditions specify multiple times in multiple places that your order has to be placed after the program launch date. In this document that you must sign yourself for eligibility, very explicitly in the Applicant Eligibility section you're agreeing:
The applicant must:
3. Agree that the entirety of the purchase or lease for an eligible vehicle must occur on or after the official launch of Phase Two, the Point-of-Sale Program, and in the State of New Jersey at a participating dealership or showroom.
a. Vehicles ordered in advance of the Phase Two launch will not be eligible for an incentive.
Additionally there's a section for those who try to sidestep this:
False Statements:
An applicant, showroom, dealership or vehicle manufacturer providing a false statement in any of the information submitted to the Charge Up New Jersey program may be criminally liable in accordance with applicable state or federal statutes, and any such false statement could result in incentive denial and/or removal from the Charge Up New Jersey program.
I'm not fully disagreeing, there definitely seems to be room for Tesla to fudge the numbers in your favor. The real damning part is that they must submit the Purchase Contract to apply for the credit, which may reference your Order Contract, containing your order date therein (which they could flat out lie about, I suppose). It seems like a risk for both parties, and who can say whether they want to do it with a line of people out the door willing to take your order the second you cancel.
It's really a gamble, just as it was a gamble when I placed my order in the middle of June. I ate the $100 and reordered earlier today, and I have 100% confidence that I will receive this incentive and I fall in line with the requirements, and the peace of mind is worth something. Anyone who waits to find out what happens will now fall behind me in line if they eventually reorder.
I will say, though, if you have an open order in and there's a chance Tesla will work with you on the bypassing this, and you don't mind the gamble that you might end up reordering even later and ending up further back in line, by all means wait it out. If you're right then you'll save $100 and get your car sooner. If you're wrong you're looking at a very late delivery. For me, the verbiage seems extremely clear. Whether we think it makes sense or not is another argument all together, but I know from where I'm sitting I have more peace of mind now.
