Further updates from Tesla: I have been trading voice mails and emails with my sales guy there.
...
His reply: They are changing things for the 2008s. Now all money will be due upon delivery of the vehicle, and deposits will be refundable all the way up until that point.
This seems strange:
1) People getting cold feet thanks to the economy can now pull out without penalty.
2) There will be a transition period of people who have to pay early to those who pay on delivery.
Both could create a hole in the company's cashflow, which given the events of yesterday I would think is the last thing they want.