400 million US government contract for Tesla Cybertruck?

Have you heard about the alleged mega-deal for the Tesla Cybertruck in which the US government planned to spend a total of 400 million dollars on electric armored vehicles? This very same big contract recently made headlines - and then suddenly disappeared from official procurement documents. What's going on? In this article, you will find out what is known so far and why the name Tesla has now disappeared from the list.

Planned acquisition of armored electric vehicles

Originally, the US State Department planned to procure 400 million dollars worth of armored electric vehicles over several years. Numerous indications suggested that the futuristic Tesla Cybertruck as an "armored Tesla" came into question. With its robust stainless steel body and design conceived for many scenarios, the e-pickup seemed predestined for the government contract. Official documents initially even explicitly listed "Armored Teslas".

Sudden change in the documents

After initial reports, the order for armored Teslas worth 400 million dollars quickly made the rounds. But only a short time later, the revised documents suddenly only contained the general term "Armored Electric Vehicles" instead of "Armored Teslas". Interestingly, the total value of the order remained unchanged. We can only speculate as to the possible reasons for this move. What is clear, however, is that the name Tesla disappeared from the official list overnight.

Possible background

Conflict of interestElon Musk is working on a government initiative to cut costs. A multi-million dollar deal with his own company would attract criticism.
Unclear responsibilitiesProcurement lists do not automatically guarantee a final contract. Changes can occur at any stage of the project.
Technical requirements: Tesla may be working on the implementation of specific safety and armor requirements that have not yet been finalized.

Elon Musk's reaction

Elon Musk himself commented that Tesla probably did not receive 400 million dollars and that no one had informed him of this. His statement makes it clear that even the Tesla-CEO does not expect to be awarded the contract for this amount. In addition, his role in the "Department for Government Efficiency" is a constant source of discussion - after all, he is supposed to reduce expenditure on the one hand, while Tesla At the same time, he could benefit from government contracts.

Other vehicles remain

While the name Tesla was removed from the records, there were still items for other armored vehicles, including SUVs from German manufacturers. Whether Tesla is actually completely out of the running for the 400 million dollars or whether the requirements for the electric vehicles are merely changing remains unclear for the time being. In general, any interested car manufacturer will have to convincingly demonstrate its production and delivery capacities in order to receive such a large order.

Conclusion and outlook

It is currently unclear whether the Tesla Cybertruck will actually be procured for the US government or whether the deal has finally fallen through. What is certain, however, is that the idea of armored electric vehicles in government fleets is still on the table and Tesla could be one of the favorites as the leading e-car manufacturer. It remains to be seen when and how this project will be pursued and whether Elon Musk's e-pickup will ultimately be included in the government portfolio after all.