A Tesla Cybertruck strikes alongside the seashore in Boca Chica, Texas, on Nov. 18, 2024.
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Eric Homosexual/AP
The Trump administration is predicted to buy $400 million price of armored Tesla autos, in response to a brand new State Division doc detailing procurement for fiscal yr 2025.
Tesla Chief Govt Elon Musk is a high White Home official who has been main the Division of Authorities Effectivity, a unit targeted on shrinking the federal workforce and ferreting out corruption.
The doc doesn’t specify what Tesla autos might be bought by U.S. officers, however Musk’s Cybertruck, with its militaristic design and stainless-steel exterior, may very well be an possibility.
After reports circulated Wednesday evening of the State Division’s intent to buy Tesla autos, the doc was edited, at 9:12 p.m., and now says the federal contract is for $400 million price of “armored electrical autos,” however the phrase “Tesla” was eliminated.
Responding to a section by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow concerning the $400 million contract, Musk wrote on X on Wednesday evening: “Hey @Maddow, why the lie?”
The State Division and Musk didn’t return requests for remark.
Musk, who spent greater than a quarter-billion {dollars} to assist elect Trump, has used an X account dedicated to DOGE to focus on what he views as extreme or pointless federal contracts.
As Musk’s deputies have gained entry to just about two dozen federal companies, ethics consultants have raised concern concerning the billionaire working into conflicts of curiosity, since Musk runs six corporations, a few of that are below investigation by authorities authorities. Musk’s corporations, together with Tesla and SpaceX, even have multi-billion-dollar contracts with the federal authorities.
A lot of the federal cash Musk has obtained has gone to SpaceX, the rocket firm, for tasks together with work for NASA to launch Musk’s Starship with astronauts to the moon.
A brand new Cybertruck begins at round $82,000, and about 38,000 have been offered final yr, in response to Cox Automotive. Because the automobile’s launch in 2019, the truck has confronted complaints about rust, finger pinches and faulty accelerator pedals.
The State Division doc additionally reveals that some Tesla opponents are anticipated to obtain profitable, but significantly smaller, contracts for armored autos, together with from BMW, which the doc reveals is about to provide about $40 million price of SUVs to the federal authorities.
