Ford Motor Co and Japan's Nissan Motor Co Ltd <7201.T> will receive nearly $8 billion combined in U.S. government loans to spur development of fuel efficient vehicles, the U.S. Energy Department said on Tuesday.

Ford will receive $5.9 billion to retool factories in Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and Missouri in order to produce 13 models.

Nissan's North American unit will receive $1.6 billion to retool its Smyrna, Tennessee, facility to build electric cars and an advanced battery manufacturing plant.

Start-up Tesla Motors Inc will receive $465 million to build electric drive trains and electric vehicles in California, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said at Ford headquarters in Dearborn.

(Reporting by Kevin Krolicki, editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

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