Company executives said that federal officials told them that they were impressed with the Bright van, but often talked about how the Energy Department could not risk “another Solyndra situation.” Solyndra ceased operations last August but it was evident to the Energy Department some months earlier that the company was in trouble; in May 2010, some White House officials were concerned that the company might not survive.

The auto loan fund, known as the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing program, or A.T.V.M., was created in 2007 in conjunction with new federal fuel economy requirements. The intent was for loans to spur development of vehicles that would get 20 percent improvements in gas mileage over models they replaced. Since then, the program has become all the more relevant because fuel-efficiency rules were increased even further in 2011 to a target of 54 miles per gallon by 2025.

Even with President Obama’s emphasis on promoting cleaner cars, only $8.4 billion of the $25 billion authorized by Congress for the A.T.V.M. program has been allocated, with just one small project of $50 million gaining approval in the last two years. With the recent withdrawals of applications, it is unclear whether any car loan applications are still being considered.

The biggest loans so far went to Ford and Nissan for electric-car projects. When Chrysler tried to tap into some of the same money, the delays became so frustrating that its chief executive, Mr. Marchionne, went to Washington in January for an unusual one-on-one meeting with the energy secretary, Steven Chu.

“Can you just give us a decision, yes or no?” he asked Mr. Chu, according to company officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the talks.

But Mr. Chu refused to be pinned down, these people said, and last month, Chrysler withdrew its application. Mr. Marchionne said his company was being forced to meet stiffer requirements for loans. “The D.O.E.’s proposed terms were very restrictive,” a Chrysler official said.