John Bleakley Ford

Ford will become the second major automaker to begin selling a purely electric vehicle in a mass-market. They will ship 2012 Focus Electric cars to dealerships later this year. It's a huge step for one of the largest American auto makers, and they feel it will pay off in the long run.

Ford's only direct competition, the Nissan Leaf, is available for $33,000 base, but federal and state tax breaks drop the…