Ford to Get Retooling Loans

Ford Motor Co. will today become the first Detroit automaker to receive loans from the U.S. Department of Energy to help cover the cost of developing and building more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, according to people familiar with the decision.

In its application to the Energy Department, Ford said it would use the money to help cover the cost of retooling some of its U.S. truck plants to produce small cars from Europe.

That would include the planned conversion of the former Michigan Truck Plant in Wayne, MI.