The US State Department caused confusion with a change in its procurement forecast for 2025. In the document that on the The ministry’s website is freely accessible
, became the US car manufacturer Tesla in connection with a $ 400 million order for armored electric vehicles mentioned. However, the mention of the company name was deleted again after reports from the “New York Times” and the news portal “Drop Site News” appeared. The budget post extends over five years, at the beginning of 2025. In the original version of the document, it was said that “Armored Tesla” was to be ordered, in the updated version only “Armored Electric Vehicle” are listed, ie armored electric cars.
The incident again sparks the debate about Tesla boss Elon Musk (53) Influence on the awarding process can affect public orders if one of its companies competes for the orders. US President Donald Trump (78) Musk has broadcast the management via the newly created “Department of Government Efficiency”, in this position the native South African is to radically shorten the government spending.
Musk wanted to build “futuristic fighting tanks”
In addition to the armored Teslas, armored BMWs of the X5 and X7 models are also on the list, as well as unspecified armored limousines. Which Tesla is meant was not specified in the document, but according to media reports, it is said to be the cyberruck of the American carmaker.
Musk is considered a big fan of military history, emphasized several times in the past that the cybertruck was bulletproof and said in a podcast by Automotive News in 2020: “I just wanted to build a futuristic battle tank, something that looks like it would come from Blade Runner or aliens or something similar. “
The Tesla contract would be one of many who have concluded the Musk companies with the US government. So alone Musk’s rocket company has Spaceex Get several billion dollars of government funds, according to SpaceX CEO Gwynne Shotwell (61) If the group holds contracts with the US government worth $ 22 billion
. Musk posted on his social media platform X that he was “pretty sure” that Tesla did not receive $ 400 million and described media reports about it as “lies”. The motto of his political foster father Donald Trump (Attack and Deny) revealed Musk already internalized.