The budget of the U.S. State Department for 2025 includes an item called “Armored Teslas” valued at 400 million dollars, which has raised various questions about the allocation of government resources.
This expenditure was approved during the Biden administration, which adds a level of controversy, given that Elon Musk and his team at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are reviewing a large amount of public spending in search of optimizations.
A very controversial budget item
The curious thing is that this item is classified under the NAICS code “311999 – All other food products manufactured.” Some analysts have expressed their surprise and skepticism regarding this categorization, as other items related to armored vehicles are budgeted at significantly lower amounts: 50 million, 40 million, and 40 million dollars, while Teslas stand out for their exorbitant figure of 400 million.
Moreover, the irregularities in the classification of armored vehicles do not end there. Entries such as “Armored Sedan” under “Soft Drink Manufacturing,” “Armored BMW X5/X7” listed under “Bottled Water Manufacturing,” and “Armored EV (NOT SEDAN)” related to “Ice Manufacturing” have been recorded. This situation has raised questions about the transparency and efficiency in the use of the budget.
On the other hand, Tesla has proclaimed that its Cybertruck model is “armored” and “bulletproof,” although its protective capability is limited, as it can only deflect low-velocity bullets if they hit the doors.
As the controversy continues, rumors suggest that other companies are looking to modify the Cybertruck to increase its level of armament, such as the collaboration between Unplugged Performance and Archimedes Defense.