Tesla CEO Elon Musk has responded to the information that the automaker could be awarded a $400 million contract from the U.S. Division of State to provide the U.S. authorities with armored electrical automobiles.
Yesterday, we reported that in response to the U.S. Division of State’s Procurement Checklist for 2025, Tesla was set to win a $400 million contract to provide the federal government with armored EVs — most ideally, the Cybertruck could be used.
Tesla projected to win $400M Dept. of State contract for armored EVs
The expenditure was listed within the public checklist and was added by the earlier White Home as former President Joe Biden was nonetheless in workplace when Tesla was added to the checklist.
The checklist doesn’t assure {that a} contract might be awarded, but it surely does present the Division of State’s “anticipated contract” choices.
In a brief 20 hours because the story was reported, quite a bit has modified.
First, the Division of State up to date the checklist to take away Tesla’s identify from the road the place it listed the award, which means it was both a mistake or a response to potential pushback the general public may need.
🚨 The U.S. Division of State has now modified the Procurement Checklist, eradicating the phrase “Tesla” from the row. It now merely says “Armored Electrical Automobiles.”
Musk mentioned he “is fairly positive” Tesla will not be receiving $400m from the federal government for this mission. https://t.co/VMavkS3ZQg pic.twitter.com/XjheceyVht
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) February 13, 2025
Contemplating Musk’s place on the submit of the Division of Authorities Effectivity (DOGE), it’s comprehensible that some may need an issue with the contract if it have been to be awarded.
Secondly, Musk has responded to claims that the contract was supposed on being awarded to Tesla, as he mentioned:
“I’m fairly positive Tesla isn’t getting $400m. Nobody talked about it to me, a minimum of.”
I’m fairly positive Tesla isn’t getting $400M. Nobody talked about it to me, a minimum of.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 13, 2025
There are nonetheless plans to launch a authorities fleet of each armored and plain EVs. Who will win these contracts and be awarded the chance to offer them remains to be up within the air.
Tesla is in a chief place to win these contracts due to its concentrate on home manufacturing and sourcing. Within the U.S., Tesla’s Mannequin Y was essentially the most American car, the Automobiles.com examine confirmed. The Mannequin S was fourth, the Mannequin X was ninth, and the Mannequin 3 was twenty first.
The Cybertruck was disqualified from the checklist as a result of its gross weight.
Tesla additionally has the manufacturing capability and a confirmed monitor report of fulfilling it, one thing else that might be a necessity with President Trump within the White Home.
Different carmakers might probably be within the working, however they might want to present their capability to deal with manufacturing the fleet that the federal government might in the end purchase.
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