Joann Muller, 06.21.10, 12:00 PM EDT

Will your city be ready for plug-in cars?

Dozens of cities across the U.S. are gearing up for electric cars. But some seem to be in the fast lane. Here are the cities we predict will be America's future electric car capitals. (Get ready for a few surprises.)

Portland, Ore.

Synonymous with the green movement, Portland is participating in the EV Project, a $100 million government-subsidized effort to deploy up to 4,700 Nissan Leaf electric vehicles and more than 11,000 charging stations in five states. For its part, Portland agreed to buy nearly 1,000 Leafs and will deploy thousands of chargers around the city, providing early feedback on what business models work best.

San Francisco Bay area, Calif.

Government officials in the region are working with Nissan to promote and develop a vehicle-charging infrastructure, including home charging, and are streamlining the permitting process for installing charging equipment. The region is also one of nine in which Coulomb Technologies plans to install free charging stations in partnership with Chevrolet, Ford and SmartUSA.

San Diego, Calif.

San Diego is also getting plug-in ready under the EV Project, which is headed by Nissan and Electric Transportation Engineering Corp (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, Inc. The California Energy Commission chipped in another $8 million grant. The grants will support the installation of up to 2,250 charging stations.

San Francisco Bay area, Calif.

Government officials in the region are working with Nissan to promote and develop a vehicle-charging infrastructure, including home charging, and are streamlining the permitting process for installing charging equipment. The region is also one of nine in which Coulomb Technologies plans to install free charging stations in partnership with Chevrolet, Ford and SmartUSA.

Indianapolis, Ind.

Home to advanced battery maker EnerDel and a nearby factory that will produce Think City electric cars, Indianapolis is emerging as the Midwest's leading plug-in city. Think and SmartUSA are providing more than 50 electric vehicles each for Indianapolis' Project Plug-In this summer. Meanwhile, local utilities plan to provide up to 300 public charging sites.

Nashville, Tenn.

Nashville is the North American headquarters for Nissan, maker of the battery-powered Leaf. So it's a natural hub for electric vehicles. But Tennessee has been aggressively recruiting green technology companies for years. Nashville, along with Knoxville and Chattanooga, is participating in the federally subsidized Project EV.

Raleigh, N.C.

A McDonald's restaurant in nearby Cary, N.C., was the first to offer a charging station for electric cars, not that it gets much usage yet. Meanwhile, the city and surrounding Research Triangle area are working to streamline the permitting process for residential charging stations, and they are studying an electrification plan for freight trucks.

Tampa, Fla.

This metropolitan area, with more than 2 million people, is debunking the myth that EVs will be ushered in only by West Coast cities. A big challenge here: coordinating vehicle charging between four different utilities. Tampa has joined Project Get Ready, a national nonprofit initiative by the Rocky Mountain Institute to help cities prepare for plug-in electric vehicles.

Los Angeles, Calif.

Long associated with green transportation, L.A. is likely to have one of the largest concentrations of electric cars. Its utility, Southern California Edison, is preparing by making sure the grid can handle the demand, simplifying the process for installing charging equipment and educating consumers about charging options.

Austin, Texas

One of nine markets where Coulomb Technologies, a leading provider of EV charging equipment, is installing stations free of charge, under a federally subsidized partnership with Chevrolet, Ford and smartUSA. The city is providing rebates of up to $500 for EV purchases.

Seattle, Wash.

Seattle, which gets most of its electricity from hydro-power, is an ideal location for electric vehicles, which is why it's one of Nissan's first markets for the Leaf, and one of the five cities getting federal funds for infrastructure rollout under the EV Project.

Denver, Colo.

Colorado is offering tax credits of up to $6,000 for buyers of plug-in cars and making it easy to obtain a permit for a home charging station within 15-30 minutes.

Phoenix/Tuscon, Ariz.

Another of the launch markets for the Nissan Leaf, Arizona offers discounted license fees for battery-powered cars. It's receiving federal funds under the EV Project.