The sun may be setting on Fisker

Fisker Automotive will most likely file for bankruptcy protection this week as pressure from the U.S. Department of Energy to pay back nearly $200 million in government loans heats up. Fisker laid off 75 percent of its U.S. workforce last week and Rueters reports that a $10 million loan payment to the DoE on April 22.

Fisker has talked to a few manufacturers for a sale to bail them out of this mess, but none of the prospective buyers has been willing to assume the terms of the DOE loans. Fisker hasn’t built any vehicles since last summer, and there have been no reported new sales of the $100,000 hybrid vehicles since then.

The green car maker has retained law firm Kirkland & Ellis to advise on a possible bankruptcy filing. Sources close to the issue say the paperwork has already been drawn up.