DEARBORN, Mich. -

Sixty-seven Ford dealerships have received the necessary certification to become the first stores to sell the automaker’s debut all-electric offering, the company announced Monday.

All of the dealerships given the green light to sell the 2012 Ford Focus Electric later this spring are located in California, New Jersey and New York.

These three states were found to “account for a large percentage of electrified vehicle sales,” officials noted.

By the end of the summer, Ford plans to have the model selling in 19 markets. The automaker will conduct a nationwide rollout by the end of the year.

Offiicals noted that Washington, D.C. and the following states are expected to begin selling in mid-2012:

Arizona
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Massachusetts
Michigan
North Carolina
Oregon
Texas
Virginia
Washington.

To become certified, the dealers had to clear Ford’s requirements for selling electric models, which include such mandates as having as least two charging stations on site and attending specialized training in electric vehicles.

“The amount of hard work and resources dealers put into becoming certified really is a testament to how excited they are, how excited customers are and how excited we are about electric vehicles, starting with Focus Electric," said David Gutman, Ford’s field operations manager.

The list of requirements also includes the following, as listed by Ford:

—One of the two required charging stations at the dealership must be in the customer area and the other must be in the service area.

—At least one Focus Electric must be available at all times for demonstrations and events.

—Of the sales consultant, sales manager, service advisor and service manager jobs at each location, 80 percent must meet specific electric vehicle training
certification requirements that cover topics including advanced knowledge of electrification.

—Each showroom will have point-of-purchase display materials including digital assets and window signage.

—Participation in a Ford Go Green Dealer Onsite Facility Assessment to identify energy and cost saving opportunities with a goal of facilitating energy efficiency, lower operating expenses and carbon footprint reduction
 
To see the list of the first 67 dealers, visit http://www.ford.com/electric/focuselectric/2012/reservations/#tab1.