TOKYO - The US military in Japan has banned vehicles made by the Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD at Kadena airbase over security concerns, according to a report in The Guardian. The military said on Tuesday that the ban went into effect this week. The Guardian described Kadena as one of America's biggest overseas military bases.
According to The Guardian, the restrictions on the electric vehicles at Kadena also apply to delivery drivers and taxis. The outlet's summary does not describe how those restrictions would operate for drivers.
The base is located on a southern Japanese island. The Guardian's headline calls the BYD vehicles an "unacceptable" risk, a characterization the outlet attributed in its headline to the broader decision.
The Guardian attributed the announcement to the US military in Japan, which said the ban was based on security concerns. The summary does not describe any additional justification for the measure.
The material available for this account does not include the number of vehicles affected, the full list of covered models, or a response from BYD. It also does not say how the ban will be enforced. This report relies on a single source, The Guardian, and the report was written by Justin McCurry in Tokyo, according to its byline. It reports only what that outlet's headline and summary state.