The US State Department has allocated $400 million to purchase new Tesla armored vehicles, despite Tesla CEO Elon Musk leading efforts to reduce government spending during Donald Trump’s term.
Sector-generated procurement forecasts indicate a proposed expenditure of $400 million (£320 million) for “armored Teslas (production units).” These vehicles could potentially be the Cybertrucks, Tesla’s latest electric pickup model, touted by Musk as being bulletproof.
This revelation raises concerns about a possible conflict of interest for Musk, who is a major beneficiary of US government contracts through his various companies.
While Musk’s wealth primarily comes from Tesla, his rocket company SpaceX is a key contractor providing space launch services to the US government.
Despite Musk’s efforts to streamline government spending, particularly through his initiative named Doge, Trump has also involved him in government efficiency efforts. These actions have been criticized for potentially violating the US Constitution.
State Department documents suggest that the Tesla contract will be finalized by the end of September.
The department’s website originally included a forecast document dated December 13, 2024, showing the Tesla procurement plan. However, a later version corrected this entry after it was reported by Drop Site News, replacing “Tesla” with “armored electric vehicles” (EVs) without specifying the brand.
In addition to Tesla, the US government also procures armored vehicles from other manufacturers, as indicated in the procurement documents.
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Both Tesla and the US State Department have been approached for comments on the matter.
Source: www.theguardian.com
