State Dept. removes Tesla from armored electric vehicle contract list

The U.S. State Department has removed mention of Tesla from a planned $400 million contract to buy armored electric vehicles. The move followed reports of the automaker's involvement in several media outlets on Wednesday.

The sudden change in the bidding documents

The December version of the document included a "Tesla armored" line item that was supposed to be part of a five-year budget plan beginning in 2025. However, after media reports, including Drop Site News and the New York Times, Tesla's $TSLAname was removed from the document.

In the original list, Tesla appeared alongside German automaker BMW $BMW.DE, which provides the armored X5 and X7 models. While BMW remains on the list, Tesla has been removed and its place taken by the general category of "armored electric vehicles."

Possible conflict of interest with Musk's companies

Tesla's involvement in government contracts raises questions about potential conflicts of interest. Elon Musk plays a key role in President Donald Trump's…