Democratic congressional leaders rejected a compromise plan to help battered US auto makers, saying the industry needs to come up with a business plan before it receives any money.

Senate negotiators sought to craft a compromise plan to bail out US auto makers, though prospects for a deal before Congress adjourns for the year still appeared remote.

U.S. auto executives warned Congress that their industry was teetering on the brink of disaster as they pleaded for a $25 billion aid package.

Ford Motor, scrambling for cash as the U.S. Big Three automakers struggle to stay alive, will end 12 years of control of Mazda Motor through the sale of a 20 percent stake in the
Japanese carmaker.

US auto executives took their case for a $25 billion bailout to Congress, warning that the industry was  on the brink of disaster. But prospects for a bailout appeared dim.

Toyota Motor Corp plans to install solar panels on some Prius hybrids in its next remodelling, responding to growing demand for "green" cars amid record-high oil prices, a source briefed on the matter said on Monday.