TESLA ARMY
US ‘planning to buy $400MILLION worth of Armored Teslas’ from Elon Musk after he bragged his trucks are ‘bulletproof’
The huge government order is most likely to be for Tesla Cybertrucks
THE US government is reportedly planning to buy buffed-up "Armoured" Tesla EVs worth $400million from Donald Trump's best pal Elon Musk.
The Department of State released a procurement forecast list which mentions a five-year contract - reportedly the biggest of 2025 - that could fall into Musk's lap.
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The initial version of the document released in December included an item called “Armored Tesla” with a five-year contract starting in 2025.
However, the document was revised to remove the mention of Tesla Inc. after reports emerged about it on Wednesday.
It now simply says $400 million worth of "armoured electric vehicles".
The contract is due to be finalized by the end of the year and is currently in the “planning” phase.
However, given Trump and Musk's newly forged bromance, one can expect Tesla to land the deal.
While no specific car model has been announced yet, the huge government order is most likely to be for Tesla Cybertrucks, which can cost almost $100,000 with full specifications.
Musk, who is known to be a huge fan of military and defence equipment, said in 2020: "I just wanted to make a futuristic battle tank, something that looked like it came out of Blade Runner or Aliens."
Although, Musk replied to a post on X saying: "I’m pretty sure Tesla isn’t getting $400M. No one mentioned it to me, at least."
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Many state police departments have already added the futuristic truck to their fleet, some even splashing up to $150,000 to upgrade it into a "Robocop".
Musk also deployed Cybertrucks across Los Angeles to act as power hubs and battery banks during the ongoing wildfire mayhem.
Billionaire tech tycoon Musk is leading Trump's new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) as the "secretary of cost-cutting".
He has been tasked by the US president to gut federal government spending across all departments.
Watch bizarre vid of Putin’s 'wardog' Kadyrov 'sending machine gun-mounted Cybertrucks to Ukraine' after Elon Musk row
However, speaking to reporters in the Oval Office this week, the Tesla boss insisted there would be no "conflict of interest" if his billion-dollar companies received government contracts from the same agencies where he is looking to axe spending.
He said: "You have to look at the individual contract.
"If you see any contract where it was awarded to SpaceX and it wasn't by far the best value for the taxpayer, let me know – because every one of them was."
Musk's SpaceX was awarded a $39 million defense contract just days ago.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk's complicated relationship
Former president Donald Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk's relationship started rocky, but the pair have since reconciled, with Musk fully endorsing Trump and interviewing him on X Spaces on August 12.
In 2022, Elon Musk and Donald Trump publicly feuded on X, then still known as Twitter.
Trump called Musk a liar and "bulls**t artist" during a rally in Alaska.
"Elon is not going to buy Twitter," Trump said at the time.
"You know, he said the other day, 'I've never voted for a Republican.' I said, 'I didn't know that - you told me you voted for me. So he's another bulls**t artist, but he's not going to be buying it."
In response to Trump's critiques, the SpaceX founder clapped back.
"I don't hate the man, but it's time for Trump to hang up his hat & sail into the sunset," Musk posted.
Musk also went on to buy X months later.
The X owner said he had previously voted mostly for Democrats since becoming a United States citizen in 2002.
Musk initially backed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to be the Republican Party's presidential nominee.
"My preference for the 2024 presidency is someone sensible and centrist," Musk wrote on X in 2022.
"I had hoped that would [be] the case for the Biden administration, but have been disappointed so far."
His shift in political parties might be attributed to his plummeting relationship with President Joe Biden who didn't invite Musk to the 2021 White House electric vehicle summit.
Despite their past issues, Trump and Musk's relationship took a turn in March after they met at Mar-a-Lago.
Trump was also previously against electric vehicles but has since changed his stance.
"I’m for electric cars," he said at a rally earlier this month.
"I have to be, because Elon endorsed me very strongly. So I have no choice."
Following the assassination attempt at Trump's rally in July, Musk announced his support for the former president.
"I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," Musk wrote on X after the shooting.
During a recent press conference, Trump spoke highly of Musk.
"I respect Elon a lot. He respects me," he said.
"Elon, more than almost anybody I know, he loves this country. He loves the concept of this country, but like me, he says this country is in big trouble, it’s in tremendous danger."
Musk has been pictured at events at Mar-a-Lago and the UFC, buddying up with Trump.
Trump selected Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency - a taskforce aimed at cutting bureaucracy.
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