U.S. military bans BYD vehicles at Okinawa base over security risk

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US military bans BYD Okinawa

Highlights

The U.S. military banned all BYD vehicles from Kadena airbase in Okinawa this week, citing unacceptable and unmitigable security risks.
The move follows broader U.S. scrutiny of Chinese technology, as the Pentagon in June added BYD to its list of 188 Chinese firms with military links.
BYD faces this setback while expanding overseas and launching its Racco electric minicar in Japan in July after surpassing Tesla in global battery-electric vehicle sales in 2025.

Kadena access rules tighten this week

As reported by The Guardian, the U.S. military in Japan says vehicles made by Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD are now barred from Kadena airbase because they pose what officials describe as an unacceptable security risk. A statement from Lieut Col Alli Stormer, spokesperson for the U.S. air force 18th Wing at Kadena, says the vehicles present "an unacceptable and unmitigable risk to our personnel and our mission."

The restriction takes effect this week at the airbase, one of the largest American military facilities overseas and the biggest U.S. air force base in east Asia. Reports say gate security personnel have been instructed to block all BYD vehicles and tell drivers to turn around, with the rule applying to private cars, taxis and delivery vehicles.

U.S. military officials do not identify a specific threat, but the move comes amid broader concern about data collection through connected vehicle technology, including cameras, sensors and GPS devices. South Korea's Yonhap news agency says fears center on possible information leaks through systems installed in modern vehicles.

Wider pressure on Chinese technology

The Kadena decision is likely to add to speculation that similar restrictions could spread to other U.S. military facilities as Washington increases scrutiny of Chinese technology. The base would be directly involved in any response to a crisis involving China, Russia or North Korea, and its equipment includes the Typhon missile system as well as fighter aircraft, refuelling, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, according to its website.

In June, the Pentagon added BYD to a list of 188 Chinese companies it believes have links to the country's military, prompting a protest from Beijing. The blacklist also includes Nio, Alibaba and Baidu, while the U.S. defense department had already banned the sale and use of Huawei and ZTE smartphones at military bases worldwide in 2018 on security grounds.

China has taken similar action against U.S.-made vehicles in the past. Beijing barred Tesla cars from some government compounds in 2021 over concerns about onboard cameras, before removing that restriction in 2024 after Tesla received backing from China's top auto industry association.

For BYD, the base ban comes as the company expands overseas after overtaking Tesla as the world's biggest seller of battery-electric vehicles in 2025. In Japan, the automaker launches its Racco electric minicar in July as it seeks a foothold in a market still dominated by domestic brands.

In our earlier article, we covered BYD Malaysia’s decision to move ahead with local vehicle assembly by naming Inokom Corporation as its CKD assembly partner in Kulim, Kedah. We noted that the plan followed BYD’s decision not to pursue an assembly plant in Tanjung Malim after export-related requirements were imposed, and that the rollout was expected to support Malaysia’s automotive manufacturing ecosystem despite key details still pending.

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