▁their ▁car sh aring ▁programs . ▁Among ▁others , ▁transport ▁man agers ▁from ▁the ▁Bas que ▁b ios phere ▁reserve ▁of ▁Ur da ib ai , ▁Ib iza , ▁Hong ▁Kong ▁and ▁Flor ian ó pol is ▁in ▁Brazil ▁expressed ▁interest ▁in ▁using ▁the ▁Hi ri ko ▁in ▁car sh aring ▁systems . ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁the ▁Hi ri ko ▁was ▁formally ▁registered ▁in ▁the ▁Brazil ian ▁national ▁registry ▁of ▁intellectual ▁property . ▁ ▁In ▁May ▁ 2 0 1 3 ▁the ▁Hi ri ko ▁cons ort ium ▁announced ▁that ▁they ▁were ▁having ▁difficulties ▁to ▁continue ▁with ▁the ▁commercial ▁development ▁phase ▁due ▁to ▁lack ▁of ▁finan cing . ▁For ▁the ▁research ▁and ▁development ▁phase , ▁the ▁cons ort ium ▁was ▁granted ▁ ▁million ▁( ~ ▁ ▁million ) ▁from ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁Indust ry , ▁and ▁additional ▁ ▁million ▁( ~ ▁ ▁million ) ▁from ▁the ▁Bas que ▁Government . ▁A ▁government ▁sp okes w oman ▁said ▁that ▁Hi ri ko ▁had ▁ful filled ▁its ▁research ▁object ives , ▁for ▁which ▁they ▁provided ▁financial ▁support . ▁ ▁The ▁government ▁stated ▁that ▁finan cing ▁for ▁commercial ▁development ▁must ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁private ▁sector ▁and ▁that ▁the ▁Bas que ▁Government ▁was ▁willing ▁to ▁continue ▁particip ating ▁with ▁vent ure ▁capital ▁funds ▁once ▁the ▁Hi ri ko ▁obtained ▁official ▁industrial ▁appro val ▁for ▁production . ▁The ▁entire ▁project ▁was ▁shut ▁down ▁and ▁its ▁participants ▁laid ▁off , ▁some ▁of ▁whom ▁were ▁su ing ▁for ▁sever ance ▁pay ▁and ▁un pa id