French coachbuilder and contract manufacturer Heuliez has been struggling for most of this year to restructure as it faces the same financial difficulties as other automakers and suppliers. Bernard Krief Consulting (BKC) stepped up to buy the company a few months ago, but the company's viability remains in doubt.

The French government had announced plans to invest up to €10 million in Heuliez's electric vehicle program through its strategic investment fund. However, like the U.S. Department of Energy's ATVM program, the investment has some viability requirements in an attempt to ensure that the money doesn't go to waste. Because Heuliez has still not provided the necessary guarantees, the government fund is holding back the cash. It's not clear at this point if Heuliez will ever get the money or when and what impact this will have on the EV program, which includes the Heuliez Friendly pictured above.

[Source: Reuters]