Some customers face long wait for Ford Focus Electric

(AFP PHOTO/Stan HONDA)

Ford has delayed the full initial rollout of its Focus Electric vehicle in the US, according to reports.

The new Focus Electric is set to be launched later this year as a rival to the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt and was originally supposed to hit 19 markets.

However, a spokesperson from Ford spoke up on the MyFocusElectric forum recently to confirm that only customers in New York and California are likely to see the Focus Electric in 2011.

"For the first few months of production, we will be concentrating on California and New York," wrote David Finnegan.

"Our dealers in those areas will be the first to have their retail orders scheduled and receive the Focus Electric. We will be rolling out to the remainder of our initial markets starting in Spring 2012."

That means buyers in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland, Raleigh Durham, Richmond, Seattle, Tucson and Washington DC may be in for a long wait.

New marketing material for the US-based automaker appears to confirm it has switched to promoting a spring launch.

Ford appears to be taking a similar approach to Nissan, which made an exceptionally slow start to delivering its Leaf electric vehicle in the US, prompting complaints from some consumers left waiting for their cars.

Howover, it has significantly ramped up production since and - despite disruption caused by the Japanese earthquake in March - the Leaf is now comfortably outselling its US-built rival, the Chevrolet Volt.