Fisker Automotive lays off some workers as government reworks loan

Work on the Fisker Nina family sedan has temporarily halted at the Fisker Automotive plant in Wilmington, Del., while the carmaker and the federal government hash out details of the company's $529 million Department of Energy loan. The interruption has resulted in the layoff of 26 people at its Delaware plant and a number of contract engineers at Fisker's Anaheim, Calif., headquarters. Fisker Automotive said some of the engineering-staff reductions in Anaheim were already planned to occur in between development of the Karma and the Nina.

Cars, Harleys among items to be sold in dealer bankruptcy auction

Three cars, five Harley-Davidson motorcycles and five boats are among the items from bankrupt Minnesota car dealer Denny Hecker being auctioned off to raise money for creditors. The item list for the May 25 auction in New Germany, Minn., includes a 2004 Cadillac Escalade, a 2004 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder convertible and a 2002 Mitsubishi Montero SUV. This is the third sale of Hecker's possessions since last August to raise money for creditors.

U-turn for wheelchair row taxi firm

A TAXI firm that refused to pick up wheelchair users has had to perform a U-turn. Middlesbrough-based Boro Cars, the largest taxi firm in the North East, had originally said refusing disabled passengers was "morally wrong", but it brought in the policy anyway. The firm insists that minibuses cost drivers more to rent and that the standard fares, which are the only fares that can be charged to disabled passengers, are not high enough to earn operators any money.