Feds Delete Mention of 'Tesla' in Lucrative US Contract

The US government plans to buy $400 million worth of "armored electric vehicles" as part of a newly revealed 2025 contract, reports Time. Might they be Teslas? They might, and both the New York Times and NPR report that the State Department is expected to buy armored Cybertrucks made by Elon Musk's company. But there's some controversy about the specifics:

• Tesla mention: The State Department released a "procurement forecast" that initially specified it would buy $400 million worth of "Armored Tesla." Drop Site was among the first to report it.

• Tesla deleted: When reports began to surface of the Tesla contract, the State Department edited the item Wednesday night to remove the mention of Tesla, reports Bloomberg. It now says the government will buy "armored electric vehicles," without naming a manufacturer.
• Conflict: The initial reports drew a lot of blowback because Musk has been slashing government contracts through his Department of Government Efficiency and calling out what he sees as wasteful spending and corruption. Earlier this week, he addressed potential conflicts of interest given that the companies he owns (also including SpaceX) do a lot of business with the government. "Transparency is what builds trust," he said, per Time. "You can see: Am I doing something that benefits one of my companies or not? … I fully expect to be scrutinized."
• Sales: The Cybertrucks start at $80,000, and Tesla sold a modest 39,000 last year, per the Times. (Read one writer's experience: The vehicle is "thrilling to drive," but also has a lot of problems.)