Japan ends subsidy for eco-friendly cars

The Japanese government said Wednesday it had ended a subsidy to encourage motorists to buy eco-friendly cars after the seven billion dollar fund was exhausted. The industry ministry said it had received applications for 582.7 billion yen (6.96 billion dollars) worth of subsidies as of Tuesday, bringing to a close a programme started in June last year to boost the auto sector.
The subsidies were originally scheduled to end in March, but the government extended them to bolster Japan's weak consumption in the sector, which went through a historic crisis last year in a deep global industry recession.