A Tesla Cybertruck at a Tesla dealership on December 20, 2024, in Corte Madera, California. A State Department document indicated plans by the Trump administration for a $400 million purchase of Tesla vehicles for diplomatic transportation. However, the administration has since retracted those plans.
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The issue gained attention in a characteristically bureaucratic fashion: as a mere line on a government spreadsheet buried within the State Department’s website.

The document suggested the State Department was moving forward with a hefty $400 million contract for armored electric vehicles from Elon Musk’s Tesla, intended for secure transportation of diplomats. This apparent initiative to grant such a lucrative deal to a close ally of President Trump was unexpected and caught even long-time political watchers off guard.

When questioned, the State Department clarified that plans for the contract are currently suspended, emphasizing that negotiations with Tesla had initiated under the Biden administration.

However, NPR acquired a State Department report that revealed Biden’s team earmarked only $483,000 in the 2025 fiscal year for the acquisition of electric vehicles and an additional $3 million for supporting infrastructure like charging stations. This amounted to less than 1% of the estimated hundreds of millions meant for Tesla vehicles, following a previously undisclosed revision of a procurement document by the Trump administration.

The stark contrast in budgetary figures raises questions: was this a clerical error or a deliberate maneuver?

A former official from the Biden administration asserted to NPR that the efforts to direct a $400 million contract to Tesla seemed deliberate. The official speculated that a newcomer at the State Department initiated the process, stating, “I don’t think this is just a mistake. It looks like a decision was made to pursue this with Tesla.”

The source indicated that while discussions about enhancing electric vehicle security were underway during Biden’s term, no finances were allocated for purchasing armored Teslas. Instead, a budget of $483,000 was approved for the initial stages of developing lightweight electric vehicles for the State Department, a project still progressing as of November 2024.

The White House and Musk’s office have not responded to multiple requests for comments.

In a recent statement, a State Department spokesperson labeled the $400 million figure as merely “an estimate,” noting that it was part of preliminary discussions and not an active contract, but rather an effort “to collect information.”

The spokesperson further stated, “The Department of State has no plans to move forward with the solicitation.”

On social media, Musk, a key figure in the White House, commented, “I’m pretty sure Tesla isn’t getting $400M. No one has mentioned it to me, at least.”

After the initial attention on the procurement document, NPR reported that it appeared the Trump’s administration altered the document, replacing the term “armored Tesla” with “armored electric vehicles” without any explanation. Ultimately, the item disappeared from the State Department’s procurement list.

Screenshots from various versions of a State Department procurement document illustrating how plans for armored Teslas evolved. The report states that plans for a $400 million deal began under the Biden administration, yet evidence suggests only $500,000 was allocated to explore the armoring of electric vehicles for diplomatic use.
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The document claimed it was initially published in December during Biden’s term, yet there is no record of it in the Internet Archive for that timeframe.

The $400 million item from the procurement document ignited debate. Since then, officials from the Trump administration have remained silent on why the State Department seemed to be progressing with plans for an acquisition of Tesla vehicles, specifically the Cybertruck, deemed most viable for armor enhancement. The proposed expenditure could surpass what the entire federal government had budgeted for electric vehicle procurement in 2025.

This potential acquisition has also raised questions among security experts who collaborate with the State Department.

“I can’t fathom why the government would opt to transport officials in a Cybertruck,” remarked Jim McGuffey, an armored vehicle expert working with the State Department. “Relative to established armored vehicle manufacturers, this decision lacks logic.”

State Department Drops Plans After Scrutiny

This potential procurement surfaced as Tesla’s CEO, Musk, plays a pivotal role in the White House, steering a sweeping cost-reduction initiative across the federal government.

The notion of the Trump administration supporting a $400 million contract for Tesla vehicles clashes with his historically skeptical stance on electric vehicles. Trump has annulled several of Biden’s initiatives fostering EV funding and infrastructure, including efforts aimed at driving the federal government to acquire electric vehicles.

Experts consulted for this article suggested that Trump’s State Department may have been considering a shift of the agency’s armored vehicles and SUVs entirely to Teslas, with the Cybertruck emerging as the likely candidate. Positioned as a rugged and angular vehicle, it was marketed by Musk as a “futuristic battle tank.”

Is a Total Transition to Electric Vehicles Possible?

Experts in security and former federal officials indicated that a $400 million budget would suffice to cover both the purchase and enhancement of thousands of Cybertrucks.

According to the reviewed State Department documents, there are approximately 3,000 armored cars and SUVs utilized worldwide for the transport of diplomats, VIPs, and other officials affiliated with the State Department.

If all those vehicles were replaced with a Cybertruck, priced at around $80,000 for the base model, the total cost would amount to about $250 million. Additionally, the “up-armoring” process, potentially costing tens of thousands per vehicle, would escalate overall expenses considerably, justifying the $400 million estimate.

“Indeed, armoring for diplomatic use starts at around $70,000,” stated Mark Burton, CEO of Armormax, a firm in Utah specializing in adding bulletproof glass and security features to vehicles. “We’re frequently working on EVs. This includes Rivians, Tesla Model S, and Cybertrucks.”

Musk presenting the shattered windows of the Cybertruck during its November 21, 2019 unveiling. While he claims it is bulletproof, experts assert that it would need significant extra protection to conform to State Department criteria.
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Federic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Nonetheless, as of July 2024, when the document was presented to the White House, the State Department’s officials exhibited substantial hesitance regarding the transition to electric vehicles.

Among their concerns was the challenge of identifying an electric vehicle robust enough to be “armored up.” Protecting the vehicle’s battery to prevent catastrophic failures during an encounter was one significant hurdle mentioned in the State Department report. “Locating an electric vehicle capable of supporting armor weight while maintaining a viable driving range for protective missions poses initial challenges,” they noted.

Security experts affirm that adding full armor to a vehicle can increase its weight by roughly 1,000 pounds. With a Cybertruck’s base weight sitting around 7,000 pounds, the added armor raises potential stress concerns that could substantially diminish the vehicle’s range and reliability in regions with limited electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

In a now-famous demonstration from 2019, Musk aimed to showcase the Cybertruck’s bulletproof capabilities by asking Tesla’s chief designer to throw a metal ball at its window. The action resulted in a shattered window, prompting Musk’s humorous remark, “Well, perhaps that was a bit too hard.”

Concerns Over Using Cybertrucks for Diplomatic Transport

Given these challenges, the State Department’s bureaucratic document outlined a gradual approach, expressing aspirations to trial the initial electric vehicle prototypes in 2026, prior to any discussions on broader implementations.

Contrastingly, Trump’s 2025 procurement document adopted a much more accelerated approach, indicating a readiness to consider bids for the significant $400 million armored electric vehicle order as early as May, with a target to finalize purchases by September.

When Michael Evanoff, a former senior State Department security official with four decades of experience, saw the $400 million figure in the procurement document, he was immediately dubious.

Evanoff criticized the strategy, emphasizing that the benchmark for diplomatic safety relies on vehicles designed specifically with armor integrated during manufacture, rather than supplementary armor added later. Manufacturers such as Mercedes, BMW, and General Motors provide such fortified vehicles. He noted that the State Department awarded GM a $300 million contract for armored SUVs in 2023.

“In a hostile setting, it would be difficult for a Cybertruck to endure,” Evanoff stressed, citing concerns about weight and battery longevity. “You won’t see diplomats operating in Cybertrucks in places like Karachi and Mogadishu.”

If you possess information regarding the shifts occurring throughout the federal government, please reach out to Bobby Allyn through the encrypted messaging platform Signal at ballyn.77