The U.S. State Department has revealed its plans to purchase a fleet of armored Tesla vehicles in its 2025 Procurement Forecast, with an estimated budget of $400 million. While details about the exact number of vehicles and how they will be used by the State Department were not provided, the forecast was updated in December during the presidential transition.
The forecast was made available on the Department of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization’s website, emphasizing the importance of providing contracting opportunities for small and disadvantaged firms. This aligns with the Department of State’s mission to enhance competition in contracting and provide opportunities for various types of small businesses.
It is unclear whether Tesla, the chosen manufacturer for the armored vehicles, will be responsible for the armoring process. Given Tesla’s track record with armored vehicles, including incidents where their armored windows failed durability tests, there are concerns about the choice of Tesla for this project.
According to reports from The New York Times, the State Department may be working with aftermarket up-fitter Armormax to armor the Tesla vehicles, as is common practice with manufacturers providing armored vehicles to the government. The forecast also included entries for armored vehicles from BMW and two unnamed manufacturers, with smaller budgets allocated for these vehicles.
The decision to include electric vehicles in the government’s fleet comes as a surprise, considering previous plans by the Trump administration to overturn funding for EV adoption programs. Despite this, the U.S. Postal Service has reaffirmed its commitment to electrifying its fleet, with a projected cost of $9.6 billion for the transition.
Overall, the procurement forecast signals a significant shift towards electric vehicles within the U.S. government, with Tesla at the forefront of this transition. The original forecast document can be accessed on the state.gov website for further details. For any tips or inquiries, readers are encouraged to contact tips@thedrive.com.