Electric 2012 Ford Focus now available to reserve online

While it may not have the style of an electric DeLorean, Ford's now letting consumers get in line for the 2012 all-electric Focus, which carries a base MSRP of $39,200. The Focus will be going head to head with Nissan's Leaf and Chevy's Volt in the expanding electric car market, but Ford is going into battle without announcing detailed mileage information. Nissan claims 100 miles per charge in the Leaf, while the Volt only gets 35 miles, but backs that up with a fuel-based electric generator that adds over 300 miles to its range. For Ford's part, the only thing said on its site is that the Focus is "competitive with other electric vehicles on the market."

It's worth nothing that the Focus's asking price is significantly higher than that of the Leaf, by a good $4,000, though Ford claims the Focus' charging time is half that of Nissan's model. Superior recharge time or no, consumers may be hesitant to open their wallets for the Focus until Ford releases more detailed battery info.

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