1. Types of used vehicles subject to the subsidies

On March 6, 2020, METI compiled the types of used vehicles etc. subject to the Subsidies for Safety Support Cars based on the results of examination of such types by the Examination Committee on the Subsidies for Safety Support Cars, and it hereby releases them (see the Appendices shown in Item 3 below). It should be noted that if a used vehicle falls under the target types of vehicles but it has no function working as a target braking system or a target acceleration control system or it does not appropriately operate even having such functions, the used vehicle is not subject to the subsidies. Please confirm this point with retailers and other stores before buying a used vehicle.

• The types of used vehicles determined on March 6, 2020, as those subject to the subsidies are standard-sized vehicles or light motor vehicles with issuance of a vehicle inspection certificate, which are registered as used vehicles from March 9, 2020, the date of starting the subsidies program.

• If an owner of a used vehicle receives subsidies for his/her standard-sized vehicle or light motor vehicle with issuance of a vehicle inspection certificate, the vehicle is required to be used in principle by the person identified as the registered owner, i.e., the owner should not change the registered name of the vehicle inspection certification, for at least one year from the date of the registration of the vehicle. If such owner violates this requirement, he/she must refund the amount of subsidies that he/she has received.

• It should be noted that if an owner of a used vehicle receives subsidies for his/her used vehicle and he/she causes a vehicle accident resulting in disposal of the vehicle,* the owner is not required to refund the amount of subsidies that he/she has received but is required to submit to METI a document for changing registered information.

*Note: The term “disposal of vehicles” refers to the transfer of an end-of-life vehicle from the owner to a specific business under the Act on Recycling, etc. of End-of-Life Vehicles. It should be noted that if an owner of a used vehicle who has received subsidies for his/her used vehicle causes a vehicle accident resulting in the total loss of the vehicle and if his/her insurance company is subrogated to ownership of the vehicle and the target vehicle is resold to a third party as a used vehicle, the owner must refund the amount of subsidies that the owner has received.

2. Points to be noted

• A private vehicle purchased under the name of a corporation is not subject to the subsidies. The subsidies will be granted to one vehicle per person.
• A business vehicle purchased under the name of a corporation is subject to the subsidies. If a single corporation holds a number of target vehicles or target acceleration control systems for aftermarket installation more than the number of the target elderly drivers employed by the corporation, the business is not permitted to receive the subsidies for the number of target vehicles or systems beyond the number of the target drivers.
• The following written documents are necessary for filing a request.
  • Application form;
  • Copy of the driver’s license of the applicant;
  • Copy of the vehicle inspection certificate;
  • Document establishing the purchase of the target vehicle by the applicant (e.g., copy of the purchase receipt);
  • Copy of a passbook of the applicant issued by a financial institute, the account to which the subsidies will be paid; and
  • Other documents stipulated by the operator of the subsidies program.
• Application forms for the grant of the subsidies will be released on the website of the Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center.
• Please note that the call for applicants for the subsidies program will close soon after the total number of requests exceeds the budget.

3. Appendices

Note: The details of the functions shown by Items i and ii in each of the Appendices are those as below.
i. Function working as the braking system and ii. function working as the acceleration control system

Appendices: Types of used vehicles, etc. subject to the subsidies

• For further details, see the Japanese language press release.

4. Other information

As for details of the Businesses Trading the Acceleration Control Systems for Aftermarket Installation under the Subsidy Program for Supporting Drivers in Introducing Acceleration Control Systems that Respond to Drivers’ Mis-operation of the Acceleration Pedal into Their Vehicles, visit the website of the Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center, an operator of the program.

• The Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center site.Link

5. References

• Acceptance of Requests for Subsidies for Safety Support Cars Starts on March 9, 2020 (March 3, 2020) (in Japanese)
• Overview of the Subsidies for Safety Support Cars program (website of the Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center for the subsidies program) (March 3, 2020) (in Japanese)
• Types and Grades of Vehicles Targeted by the Subsidies for Safety Support Cars (December 23, 2019)
• Subsidies for Safety Support Cars Included in FY2019 Supplementary Budget Draft (December 13, 2019)
• Release of the Results of Preliminary Individual Certification of Acceleration Control Systems for Aftermarket Installation- Certified acceleration control systems that respond to driver’s mis-operation of the acceleration pedal for aftermarket installation- (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism)

Division in Charge

• Information on private vehicles:
  Automobile Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau, METI
• Information on business vehicles
  Technology Policy Division, Road Transport Bureau, MLIT
• Information on application forms for the grant of the subsidies:
  Safety Support Cars Promotion Division, Next Generation Vehicle Promotion Center