The U.S. State Department originally listed $400 million for “Armored Tesla” vehicles in its 2025 procurement forecast, but later edited the entry to say “armored electric vehicles” instead, according to NPR.
The contract, which many assumed would be for Tesla’s Cybertruck, was the largest item in the 320-item forecast. Other armored vehicle contracts were also listed, including $40 million for BMW X5 and X7 models.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk denied any knowledge of a $400 million contract, calling the report “fake news” and saying, “I’m pretty sure Tesla isn’t getting $400M. No one mentioned it to me, at least.”
A State Department spokesperson later clarified to Forbes that there are “no current plans” to proceed with the armored EV contract. They also stated that the original forecast should not have specified Tesla, adding that the agency had only received interest from one company after the Biden administration asked them to explore the idea of armored electric vehicles.
