Battery powered buses have known issues especially in cold weather. Unfortunately most of the US' most dense, walkable, transit friendly cities tend to have real winters. Overhead wires are probably a better solution for these cities. The aesthetics of overhead wires are a small price to pay for an almost carbon-free transit system, and the ease with which many cities set up downtown streetcars tells me that the fear of community opposition on overhead wires is probably overblown in most cases.
Likewise, certain Southern coastal cities may have vulnerability to seasonal hurricanes that make it challenging to maintain overhead wires. Living in New Orleans, the streetcars were often out of service for weeks after a storm, even a low-grade tropical storm.
I do agree that any new trolleybuses should be equipped with small gas engines or limited batteries so they can deal with outages and service disruptions or re-routes.
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la forme d'une ville change plus vite, hélas! que le coeur d'un mortel...
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