The first few Chevrolet Bolt EV electric cars were delivered in California's Silicon Valley more than a month ago, marking the start of what will be a nationwide rollout.

Electric-car advocates and buyers outside the Golden State are eager to know exactly when the 238-mile electric hatchback will be available for purchase in their areas as well.

The answer to that question has proven a bit more complicated than it might seem.

DON'T MISS: When can I buy a Chevy Bolt EV electric car? See state-by-state schedule

As we learned earlier this week, Chevrolet is staggering the launch of the Bolt EV, with different launch dates for different states.

But even when Bolt EV sales begin in a given state, not every dealer within that state will necessarily carry the electric car.

As was also true for the Volt plug-in hybrid, individual dealers need to be certified to sell the Bolt EV.

Example of dealership certified to sell Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car

Example of dealership certified to sell Chevrolet Bolt EV electric car

We asked Chevy about this, and were directed to the "Dealer Locator" tool on the carmaker's website.

The tool prompts you to enter a zip code in order to find nearby dealers, which can be viewed in detail by clicking the "View All Dealers" button in the bottom right-hand corner of the box that appears when the "Dealer Locator" is open.

This opens a list of dealers, and the phrase "Bolt EV Sales & Service" will appear in the listing for ones that carry the electric car.

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Chevy is currently in the process of adding the full list of Bolt EV dealers outside of states where the car is already on sale, said Fred Ligouri of Chevrolet communications.

It expects to finish that task by the end of this week.

As of this month, Chevy is officially taking orders for the Bolt EV in California, Oregon, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia, New York, and New Jersey.

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV

Maryland, Massachusetts, and Virginia buyers will receive their cars next month, while New York and New Jersey buyers won't take delivery until March.

The Bolt EV won't be available to order in all 50 states until July, with deliveries in the final 31 states on the list not scheduled to start until September.

MORE: 2017 Chevrolet Bolt EV first drive: 240 miles in an electric car (Sep 2016)

Chevy has said many times it will prioritize Bolt EV sales in those markets where it sees the most demand, both from its Volt plug-in hybrid and for electric cars in general.

That means it's not too surprising that most of the early states are located on the West Coast and in the Northeast, as well as adjoining regions.

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