General Motors Corp. (GM), which had said it needed $2 billion to avoid running out of cash by the end of March, said Thursday it can survive without the emergency loans.

A GM spokeswoman said Thursday GM still needs the money, just not as quickly as anticipated. The auto maker did not specify when it needs the money, which is part of an aid request made last month for up to $16.6 billion in federal loans.

Cost-cutting moves and spending deferrals in January and February improved GM's immediate cash position, allowing the company to put off the aid request, the auto maker said in a statement.

"GM has also indicated they have advised the Presidential Task Force on The Auto Industry that the $2 billion of funding previously requested for March would not be needed at this time," GM said in a statement. "This development reflects the acceleration of GM's company-wide cost reduction efforts as well as pro-active deferrals of spending previously anticipated in January and February."

GM, struggling to avoid bankruptcy amid a global sales slump, has been surviving on a $13.4 billion federal loan since December. An automotive task force appointed by President Barack Obama faces a March 31 deadline to decide whether to give GM additional loans.

GM's ability to last without an immediate infusion relieves some pressure on the task force to make a decisions. Key elements of GM's restructuring plan - namely concessions from the United Auto Workers and bondholders - remain unresolved as GM negotiated with both groups.

-By Sharon Terlep, 248-204-5532; sharon.terlep@dowjones.com

(John Stoll and Jeff Bennett contributed to this story.)