The State Department has attempted to distance itself from its proposed $400 million Tesla contract by citing the fact that it was proposed during the Biden administration; however, it amounted to less than 1% of the updated contract.
A State Department document revealed the previous administration's State Department planned to spend $483,000 on electric vehicle and $3 million on supporting equipment. The agreement aimed to conduct research about armoring electric vehicles, but no Tesla Cybertrucks were to be purchased, NPR reported.
After news of the proposed $400 million spread, as Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) were on a firing spree across government agencies, NPR discovered the Trump administration had updated the State Department's procurement document, changing "armored Tesla" to "armored electric vehicles" without explanation before removing the line item all together.
A State Department spokesperson wrote in a statement to NPR that the updated $400 million figure was "an estimate" to "strictly gather information" before a full contract was presented, adding "the Department of State has no intention to move forward with the solicitation."
The armored vehicles would be used to securely transport diplomats, baffling experts.
"I can't imagine why the government would ever put dignitaries in a Cybertruck,"Jim McGuffey, an armored-car expert has worked with the State Department told NPR. "Compared to the other armored-car companies out there, it just wouldn't make any sense."
Additionally, the State Department already awarded a $300 million contract to GM in 2023 to provide armored SUVs to the federal government.
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