Nov. 5 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and U.S. auto-parts makers will greet President-elect Barack Obama with the same plea they have been making for months: We need help from Washington, and fast.

GM, the biggest U.S. automaker, must get government aid because ``time is very short,'' said Roger Altman, the former Treasury official advising the company in its merger talks with Chrysler LLC. ``The consequences of a collapse by GM or all three could be very severe,'' Altman, 62, said in an interview.

The industry's agenda for the new president will be topped by intensified calls for an immediate disbursement of $25 billion in low-interest loans signed into law by President George W. Bush Sept. 30. While the money is supposed to be for the development of fuel-efficient vehicles, automakers argue it should be freed up to meet current capital needs.

Sympathetic lawmakers also have been calling for auto lenders, if not the manufacturers themselves, to get some of the $700 billion bailout fund set aside for financial institutions.

``Time is critical when it comes to availability of capital for this industry,'' said Dave McCurdy, chief executive officer of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents GM, Ford, Toyota Motor Corp. and eight other automakers.

Needed `Right Now'

``That $25 billion is not hitting the street yet, and that's of major import to some of the companies right now,'' McCurdy said.

GM sought about $10 billion from the government last month, with CEO Rick Wagoner lobbying in person, people familiar with the matter said.

One or more automaker failures ``would be a difficult way for a brand-new administration'' to take office, said Altman, an Obama supporter whose Treasury Department service included working as deputy secretary under President Bill Clinton.

Companies dependent on the automakers are also at risk, said Ann Wilson, spokeswoman for the Washington-based Motor and Equipment Manufacturers Association, which represents parts suppliers such as Johnson Controls Inc. and Lear Corp.

``We have a lot of members who are having trouble with the credit crisis right now,'' `she said. `We've got to figure out a way to keep the manufacturing base in this country.''

Plunging Sales

Automakers and lawmakers are seeking aid amid decade-low auto sales in the U.S. this year and tight credit markets that caused $28.6 billion in first-half losses in 2008 at GM, Ford and Chrysler, owned by Cerberus Capital Management LP. GM said Nov. 3 its October sales plunged 45 percent in what it called the industry's worst month since 1945.

Obama said in a speech Oct. 13 that funding for automakers should be on a ``fast track,'' and the government should provide ``more as needed.'' During his campaign, he promised to help keep auto manufacturing jobs in the U.S. with measures such as incentives for building vehicles that use less fuel.

The outcome of the merger talks between GM and Chrysler may hinge on whether the companies can get government aid. The negotiations may intensify this week after the election, according to people familiar with the matter.

Michigan lawmakers including Representative Joseph Knollenberg started a campaign in October for aid to the auto industry through the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act, which authorizes the Treasury to spend as much as $700 billion to provide liquidity to the credit markets.

Governors' Letter

On Oct. 30, six governors from states including Michigan and Ohio sent a letter seeking help for automakers to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, saying the economic crisis ``threatens to create an unmanageable disaster at the state level.''

The highest priority for Obama will be to ``put the United States on the right track for an economic recovery by fixing the credit markets and restoring consumer confidence,'' Ford spokesman Mike Moran said in an e-mailed statement. He declined to comment on specific actions the automaker would prefer.

A GM spokesman, Greg Martin, didn't respond to an inquiry about key issues for the automaker under the new administration. A Chrysler spokeswoman, Lori McTavish, declined to comment.

The suppliers association also will work on getting a number of bills passed under the new president, spokeswoman Wilson said.

Fuel Standards

One law that has failed to pass this year and may come up again would crack down on the selling of counterfeit products that break intellectual property laws, such as brake pads and tires. Another would provide tax credits for heavy-duty vehicle suppliers that provide safety systems to drivers, Wilson said.

Fuel-emissions standards in the U.S. and globally will also be an issue for automakers and the Obama administration, McCurdy said. The Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards passed this year require manufacturers in the U.S. to have car-and-truck fleets getting an average 35 miles per gallon by 2020.

``We've made a commitment to not only meeting those standards but recognize those standards will continue to rise in the future,'' McCurdy said.

Obama said during his campaign he wanted to put at least 1 million so-called plug-in hybrid vehicles that would get as much as 150 miles per gallon on the road by 2015. He also said he would give consumers who buy the vehicles a $7,000 tax credit.

To contact the reporter on this story: Alex Ortolani in Southfield, Michigan, at aortolani1@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: November 5, 2008 08:49 EST