On 17/09/11 16:31, 77002 wrote:
Often wondered if there is an application for a streetcar/tram or
electric/trolly bus that runs under wires where practical, but
utilizes batteries for stretches where wires are not practical, or
unsightly.


Who says it has to be a streetcar/tram.

How about a regular private car? Battery & charge points in cities, but out
on the motorway put a wire mesh over the road and extend a pickup pole to
pick up the juice, kind of like what happens with dodgems or trolleybuses.
Charge and power at the same time.

Return current could go to a metal plate down the centre of the lane.