The State Department has announced that it is pausing a solicitation for armored electric vehicles, originally planned for the 2025 procurement list. The initial proposal included a budget of $400 million for armored Tesla vehicles, which has raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest due to Tesla CEO Elon Musk's close ties to the previous administration.
A State Department spokesperson clarified that no government contract has been awarded to Tesla or any other vehicle manufacturer for the production of armored electric vehicles. In response to a request from the Biden administration in December 2024, the State Department had been exploring interest from private companies to manufacture such vehicles.
