subsidies come in different forms.   It can be direct subsidies to customers; it can be direct subsidies to the manufacturers.  It can be so called R&D credits, guaranteed loans to the manufacturers etc.   When a governemnt "encourages" anything, it always does it through some form of subsidies.  

And a large chunk of the subsidies always end up in the pockets of the politically connected.  Everyone else supporting governments in subsidies for "social justice" are either financially  benefiting from the subsidies, or are just simply clueless.