Fisker Karma -- Low-calorie Sweetness

Fisker told us it has got $193 million in loan guarantees from the federal government up to now, mainly for its Karma plan, and goes on pursuing other funding sources.

"We have successfully raised an additional $260 million of equity in late 2011, bringing the total amount of private equity financing to more than $850 million," the company said. Fisker's production facility in Delaware is a General Motors plant that is being recommissioned.

The plant will make Fisker's Nina sedan, but production there has yet to begin. Vice President Joe Biden, Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and Fisker CEO Henrik Fisker were together in 2009 to announce plans for the production facility. During the time, union workers were guaranteed the opportunity to fill many of the 2,000 factory jobs producing the plug-in electric car and some specific car parts. It was not yet determined Monday how many of those jobs had ever been filled.