Ford is preparing for the late 2011 launch of its first all-electric passenger car, the Focus Electric. The automaker recently announced the first cities that will be receiving the vehicle as part of it's phased roll-out strategy.

The new Focus will hit dealerships in early 2011, with the electric version to follow later that year. The initial cities for the launch were chosen based on hybrid purchasing patterns, local commitment to electric vehicles, and number of residents, among other factors.

In a statement, the company named Atlanta, Houston, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, New York, Orlando, Phoenix, Tucson, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Richmond, Seattle and Washington, D.C. as the starter cities.

"This is the first step in rolling out the Focus Electric," Mark Fields, Ford’s President of the Americas said in a statement. "As the country continues to build up its electric vehicle infrastructure and demand for the Focus Electric grows, Ford will continue to evaluate additional markets."

Electric vehicle enthusiasts may want to wait until a few models hit the used car market, as the cars are typically expensive at launch.