If you have been in the market for a Tesla, you might want to get to your local dealer and get your paperwork in before closing time tonight.

A federal tax credit of $7,500 for purchasing plug-in electric cars begins the process of expiring Jan. 1. For the first six months of 2019, that credit will be cut in half, to $3,750, and then it will drop in half, again, to $1,875, for Teslas and other plug-in electric vehicles bought between July and December.

The tax credit has been seen as a major bonus for those purchasing Teslas, as those cars still come with introductory price tags of about $57,000. Tesla is in the process of introducing a version of its Model 3 sedan next year that start at $35,000, and the diminishing tax credits will add to a vehicle’s final sticker price.

A call to the Tesla dealership in Walnut Creek directed inquiries about a last-minute rush of orders to the company’s media relations department. There, a Tesla spokesperson referred to a blog post from last week in which the company said it was “doing everything we can to try to ensure those who order a vehicle today can take delivery by December 31st and take advantage of the savings.”

At that time, Tesla said it had also released its fleet vehicles, such as those used for test drives, and vehicles where an original customer was unable to take delivery of their car by the end of the year, in order to meet any late demand from car buyers.

Unlike most car dealers, Tesla doesn’t keep a large supply of vehicles at its dealerships. Most Tesla buyers place their orders and then wait between a few days or up to several weeks for their cars to be delivered.

Several Tesla dealerships around the country are staying open until midnight to handle whatever late customers decide they want to order a Tesla before the year is out. Among those dealerships are the ones located in Burlingame, Dublin, Fremont and San Jose’s Santana Row.

Concerns from some Tesla customers about whether they would still receive a full tax credit for their purchases if they placed an order, but didn’t receive their cars by midnight Monday led Tesla Chief Executive to go on Twitter over the weekend to ensure that the company would cover those tax credits.

“If Tesla committed delivery & customer made good faith efforts to receive before year end, Tesla will cover the tax credit difference,” Musk said.