Fisker Automotive and General Motors have confirmed yesterday’s reports that the California start-up will acquire the Detroit automaker’s Wilmington, Delaware, assembly plant. Fisker, which will pay $18 million for the plant, plans to build a $39,900 plug-in hybrid sedan called Project NINA at the plant.

United States Vice President Joe Biden was on hand in his home state to help make the announcement earlier today.

Assuming all goes to plan, Fisker plans to begin production of its cars in 2012 at the plant. The company says it plans to hire as many as 2,000 factory workers and more than 3,000 vendor and supplier jobs within two years of the plant’s opening thanks to ambitious plans to produce up to 100,000 vehicles annually.

“This is a major step toward establishing America as a leader of advanced vehicle technology,” said Henrik Fisker, CEO of Fisker Automotive, in a prepared statement. “Wilmington is perfect for high quality, low volume production and will soon be the proud builder of world-class, fuel-efficient Fisker plug-in hybrids.”

Fisker has signed a letter of intent with Motors Liquidation Company, the portion of General Motors that languishes in bankruptcy as it tries to clear out the company’s “bad” assets. Fisker will have a four month routine evaluation period to prepare to purchase the facility before paying GM $18 million. The company says it plans to spend an additional $175 million revamping the factory over the next three years before production begins thanks to funding from the $528.7 million Department of Energy loan the automaker received last month.

The Wilmington plant most recently assembled GM’s Kappa-platform roadsters, like the Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky. It will continue to utilize United Auto Workers union labor.

Gary Casteel, the UAW director responsible for the Wilmington plant, said in a prepared statement, “It gives me great pride to give UAW Local 435 workers the opportunity to partner with Fisker Automotive to create a greener America by building a plug-in hybrid car that will compete globally.”