DETROIT — General Motors told the federal government Tuesday that it needed to increase its loan request to $30 billion, $12 billion more than it had initially sought, to avoid a bankruptcy filing.
G.M. said that it needed $4.6 billion within weeks from loans previously requested from the government as well as $12 billion on top of that because of a deepening slump in vehicle sales.
In addition, the nation’s largest automaker said it planned to cut 47,000 jobs out of a total of 244,000 around the world by the end of the year. About 20,000 of the job losses will come in the United States, as well as five more plant closings beyond those previously announced.
Based on its filing, G.M. appears to be in danger of running out of money by the end of March without another infusion from the Treasury Department. The dire forecast was included in G.M.’s broad restructuring plan, delivered as part of the terms of the government’s loan package to the ailing automaker.
A smaller rival, Chrysler, was also required to file a restructuring package. In its plan, Chrysler also increased its loan request to the federal government by $2 billion. The company, which received $4 billion in December, originally planned to seek $3 billion in April. But it said Tuesday that the vehicle market had deteriorated so sharply that a total of $9 billion was needed.
In addition to drastically scaling back global operations, G.M. reiterated that it would reduce its North American brand lineup to four brands, from eight — including phasing out its long-unprofitable Saturn brand by 2011. The goal is to bring the company to a break-even point by next year.
In a letter to Saturn dealers, G.M. said it would be open to offers by the dealers or other investors to buy the franchise, but said they would have to arrange financing and a source of vehicles.
G.M. did not say whether it would compensate dealers for its decision to close down the division. It spent more than $1 billion earlier this decade to shut down its Oldsmobile division, which built its last cars in 2004.
Two major aspects of the restructuring were up in the air as Tuesday’s deadline approached — an agreement by G.M. with its bondholders to reduce debt and a deal with the United Automobile Workers on retiree health care funding.
While there was no deal with bondholders, the U.A.W. said in a statement that it had reached an “understanding” on concessions, with G.M., as well as Ford and Chrysler.
The union did not specify what was contained in the agreements, but said it would allow the Detroit automakers to reach “parity” in wages and other labor costs with foreign auto companies operating in the United States.
But the union does not appear to have an agreement yet on how G.M., Ford and Chrysler will pay for health care trusts for hundreds of thousands of union retirees and their surviving spouses.
There was no immediate comment from Treasury, which is supervising the loan program for G.M. and Chrysler. The government has set a March 31 deadline to determine whether G.M. and Chrysler have demonstrated their long-term viability and will be able to pay back their loans.
But the submission of G.M.’s plan is likely to be a first order of business for the Obama administration’s Presidential Task Force on Autos.
The cabinet-level panel will be confronted with an immediate decision on whether to extend G.M. more loans.
G.M. said it needed $2 billion in loans in March and another $2.6 billion in April. If approved, those loans would complete the financing related to G.M.’s $18 billion request made on Dec. 2.
Beyond that, G.M. said it would need $4.5 billion to retire an outstanding line of credit that comes due in 2011, and a $7.5 billion line of credit to support operations.
G.M. said it had made several studies of the various impacts of a bankruptcy filing, but still considered the move a last resort.
The company said that a Chapter 11 filing could severely damage revenue because consumers would not consider buying a car from a bankrupt auto maker.
G.M. also estimated that financing a bankruptcy — either by private lenders of the government — could cost as much as $100 million.
Chrysler, in its plan, said that it intended to cut 3,000 more jobs. While Chrysler did not call for more plant closings, it said that it would not restart production of the Aspen and Durango, two sport utility vehicles, and would discontinue the PT Cruiser this summer.
“We fully understand the need to adapt to significantly reduced annual U.S. sales and to national concerns over energy security and climate change,” Chrysler’s chief executive, Robert L. Nardelli, said in a statement.
“Chrysler will be viable,” Mr. Nardelli said. “An orderly restructuring outside of bankruptcy, together with the completion of our stand-alone viability plan, enhanced by a strategic alliance with Fiat, is the best option for Chrysler employees, our unions, dealers, suppliers, customers and certainly the taxpayers.”
Mr. Nardelli said Chrysler would plan to begin repaying its debt to the government in 2012.
Without additional aid, though, Mr. Nardelli said Chrysler would have to consider liquidation. The plan outlines what would occur in an “orderly wind-down of all operations,” he said.
“But to be clear, this is not a course of action we’re recommending,” he said, repeating the statement a second time for emphasis.