Monday, February 6, 2012

Fisker Automotive, an electric car maker that received a half-billion-dollar loan from the federal government and millions more from Delaware economic development officials, says it has laid off workers in Delaware and California.

Fisker said Monday that it has laid off 26 workers at a former General Motors plant in Wilmington, Del., that is being retooled to make its Nina hybrid.

Another 40 contractors and employees who were working on design and development of Fisker's Karma luxury car in California also have been laid off.

The layoffs come as Fisker works to renegotiate its loan agreement with the Department of Energy. The agency is withholding loans for the Nina project because Fisker missed certain sales and development milestones for the Karma.