All About Japan Autos

Ford will release the Focus Electric in late 2011, about one year after the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf debut. With one year to go, Ford has announced the first cities to get the Focus Electric.

These cities include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Portland, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Inside Line notes that this list is more comprehensive than the launch lists for the Leaf and Volt. “Of course, the Ford EV is nearly a year behind its competitors; when the Focus EV goes on sale in late 2011, the Leaf will already be available nationwide and the Volt will have added several new markets.” To keep pace, the Focus Electric must have greater initial availability.

Although the Electric’s list is longer than the Leaf and Volt’s, it’s still pretty short. Ford explains, “The Focus Electric initial markets were chosen based on several different criteria including existing hybrid purchase trends, utility company collaboration and local government commitment to electrification.”

After the Focus Electric has spent some time on the market, Car and Driver says “Ford will eventually roll out the Focus across the country. There’s no solid timeline in place, though, with Ford saying it will increase production capacity and expand the Focus Electric’s availability based on customer demand in various regions.”

Because electric vehicles (EV), the chargers and infrastructure requirements that come with them are so new to the US, Ford will also help consumers integrate the cars into their lifestyles. “As part of the collaboration with dealers, utilities and local governments, Ford will help develop consumer outreach and education programs on electric vehicles as well as share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support customers’ needs,” the automaker says.

As the auto market diversifies, now is a good time to see if an electric car suits your life, especially if you’re thinking about buying one. Watch how the Leaf and Focus Electric fair after they’ve been on the market for a year or two. Do most EV owners have a hard time finding a place to charge their cars? Do they say the 100 mile ranges are too short to be practical? Do owners say EVs are too expensive and aren’t worth the hassle? If the answers to these questions are yes, you may not want to purchase one yet.

Until then, there are other eco-friendly options like the Toyota Prius that are cheaper, don’t need chargers and have much longer ranges. Cars like this can hold you over until the country’s infrastructure can support more EVs.

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