Reports have emerged that the US State Department published a plan in 2024 to procure $400 million worth of “armored Teslas” by 2025, sparking concerns over potential waste and abuse of taxpayer funds. However, the original spreadsheet referencing armored Teslas has been removed from the department’s procurement forecast.
The plan, which was included in the fiscal year 2025 budget, listed Tesla as the likely recipient of the contract, with some media outlets even describing it as “the kind of waste and abuse we wanted to stop.” The State Department is seeking information on requirements for armoring electric vehicles, but it’s unclear whether the planned procurement will go forward.
According to a request for information (RFI) released by the department, the US Companies capable of supplying armored electric vehicles are being sought. The RFI does not constitute a solicitation or a promise to issue a contract, and no proposals will be accepted.
Critics have pointed out that Trump’s administration put the solicitation on hold and that there are currently no plans to issue it. The Biden administration had released a public request for information in April 2024, which aimed to acquire zero-emission vehicles for all medium and heavy-duty vehicle acquisitions by 2035.
It remains unclear whether an “armored Tesla” refers to the Cybertruck, with some media outlets speculating that it may be the most suitable vehicle for armoring. However, details on the planned procurement remain scarce, leaving many questions unanswered about the fate of this proposed contract.
Source: https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/02/14/state-department-armored-teslas