State Dept. Plans $400 Million Purchase of Armored Tesla Cybertrucks

New York Times

13-02-2025

Tesla, whose chief executive, Elon Musk, has been advising President Trump on how to cut government spending, is likely to receive a lucrative contract to supply armored versions of its Cybertruck pickup to the State Department, according to public documents.
The department's procurement forecast for 2025, which details purchases the agency expects to make, includes $400 million for armored Tesla vehicles. The document does not specify which Tesla model, but the electric Cybertruck, which has a body of high-strength stainless steel, would be the most suitable vehicle.
Mr. Musk spent more than $250 million to help elect Mr. Trump, who then appointed him as the leader of a cost-cutting initiative that's been called the Department of Government Efficiency.
The purchase of Cybertrucks, an atypical choice for government armored transport, is likely to raise conflict of interest issues, especially as Mr. Musk trumpets his own efforts to root out what he regards as unnecessary spending.
On X, the social media site he owns, Mr. Musk has portrayed the federal government as replete with waste and corruption. On Wednesday, he posted about what he said were extravagantly overpriced coffee cups and soap dispensers at the Pentagon.
Tesla and the State Department did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Mr. Musk is already a major government contractor. Companies he owns or controls have secured $13 billion in federal contracts over the past five years. SpaceX, the rocket company he founded, collects most of that money and is one of the biggest government contractors.
The State Department procurement forecast was published in December, after Mr. Trump won the election but before he took office. Plans to purchase Cybertrucks were reported earlier on Wednesday by Drop Site News.
Sales of the Cybertruck have been modest since its introduction in late 2023. Tesla sold 39,000 last year, according to estimates by Cox Automotive. With a starting price of $80,000, the vehicle is too expensive for many buyers.
Mr. Musk has joked that the Cybertruck, with its unusual stainless steel exterior and 'Mad Max' design, is 'apocalypse ready' and well suited to warfare. But Tesla has recalled the vehicle several times for problems such as faulty windshield wiper motors.
Tesla would not collect all of the $400 million order. Some of the money would go to firms that upgrade the vehicles, such as Armormax, a company in Ogden, Utah.
Justin Johnson, operations manager at Armormax, acknowledged in a brief telephone interview Wednesday that there has been interest in the company's product from the Trump administration but said he was not authorized to comment further.
Armormax installs bulletproof glass and other equipment to convert the Cybertruck passenger compartment into a 'cocoon' that protects occupants, Mr. Johnson said. 'It armors very well,' he said of the vehicle.
The firm advertises on its website that it can outfit vehicles with extra protection such as 'run-flat' tires that keep rolling even after being punctured, and a 'road tack dispensing system' that scatters tacks on the road to foil pursuers.
The State Department also plans to purchase smaller quantities of armored vehicles from other suppliers, according to the procurement forecast, including BMW sport utility vehicles valued at $40 million.