Ford's new electric Focus went on sale Wednesday morning in several regions including Seattle, whose cheap hydropower and environmental sensibilities have the company dreaming of a sales boom.

Mike Tinskey, the automaker's sustainability director, chose the Seattle Auto Show to announce the rollout for 19 cities, while standing next to charging kiosks at CenturyLink Field.

The Focus is the latest option in Seattle, where new Nissan Leaf sedans, Zenn low-speed cars and Tesla roadsters are making inroads, while the Chevy Volt combines plug-in power with a backup gasoline engine. Hybrid gas-electric models are commonplace.

The auto show began Wednesday and goes through Sunday.

The 2012 electric Focus can be fully recharged in three hours — quicker than its competitors — and travel 100 miles, said Tinskey. Cars are equipped with a rearview camera, voice-activated navigation, traffic updates from Kirkland-based INRIX and intelligent technology by Seattle-based Airbiquity. The dashboard screen can show nearby charging stations, and drivers can give smartphone commands to heat the interior before driving.

A Microsoft-powered "value charging" feature tells the car to begin recharging when rates are low — not applicable in Seattle where power is cheap 24/7. "A full charge in Seattle will probably be about $1.20," Tinskey said.

The company began taking orders Wednesday at ford.com. Tinskey said cars would be delivered to Seattle-area dealerships in the first quarter of next year. Prices are around $40,000, or $32,500 net after federal tax credits, he said.

A Nissan Leaf costs $5,000 less but currently takes seven hours to fully recharge.

A typical Focus buyer will need a home charging cabinet, costing about $1,500 and installed by Best Buy Geek Squad, to deliver 240 volts.

Focus electrics are built in Wayne, Mich., using the same assembly lines as gasoline models, Tinskey said. A Focus plug-in hybrid is expected to go on sale next year.

Washington, Oregon and California have begun to install the nation's first so-called "electric highway" network, to provide charging stations throughout the I-5 corridor. There are about 100 charging stations in the urban Puget Sound area.

About 1,600 all-electric cars and pickups are on the road in Washington state, still a fraction of the total 5.3 million registered vehicles.

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com