State Department removes mention of 'armored Teslas' from its 2025 procurement list, replaces it with 'armored electric

[KPN]

The State Department has scrubbed mention of armored Teslas from its 2025 procurement forecast. The procurement document previously contained a line item that read: "Armored Tesla (Production Units)" — a reference to products from Elon Musk's electric vehicle company, Tesla. It was listed as a five-year contract and valued at $400 million, making it the biggest item on the list.

The document was titled "Department of State Procurement Forecast Year 2025 (Revised 12/23/2024)." The Tesla line item had last been revised on December 13.

As of Wednesday night at 9:12 p.m. EST, the line item has been revised. It now reads "Armored Electric Vehicles." It's still listed as a five-year contract worth $400 million. The document is now called "Department of State Procurement Forecast Year 2025."
...
News of the $400 million State Department contract with Tesla was reported by Drop Site News on Wednesday.

https://www.businessinsider.com/state-department-buy-400-million-worth-armored-teslas-2025-2

Hmmmm. Time for another call to my Congressionals.

[dreamland]

1. 400 million for junk machines

They aren't bullet proof. They rust easily. The battery dies quickly. Its made of cheap aluminum, that stains after wraps are taken off. I guess Musk found a way to unload his junk machines.

[TomWilm]

2. This "story" is just some misunderstood gossip

Not Trump, but Biden pressed on for this support of electric cars, including to the military. An official then has so sloppily described the project as "Armored Tesla" because this factory name "means" electric cars. Same way as many other trademarks are being used as general description.

Lazy journalists shapes this into at "Trump scandal" because it attracts lots of annoyed readers and predictable comments - but (only) in this example, both Trump and Elon Musk are clearly innocent. They make plentiful of genuine crimes - so please don't waste time on such idiotically invented stories!

[Initech]

3. Oh fuck off, State Department, we know exactly what they are for.

No need to hide it.