Fisker hasn't built a car yet, but today, the carmaker announced it had reached agreement on a low-interest, $528 million loan from the U.S. Energy Department.

You'll recall that Fisker showed the production version of its Karma plug-in hybrid sedan at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. This $87,900, 408-horsepower car still hasn't officially started production in Finland (under contract), though Fisker says more than 1,500 orders are in.

The federal loan is not for the Karma, either. It's for a second, mid-priced plug-in hybrid that Fisker plans to build in the United States. Known as Project NINA, this car is scheduled to enter production in 2012. Fisker says it will build 100,000 units per year and export a substantial portion of them.

We're starting the clock now.

Green Car Advisor: Fisker Scores $528-Million Loan From Feds For Next-Generation Plug-in Hybrid