trolleybus
Sign in to savethumb|A Sunwin trolleybus in Shanghai, on the world's oldest operating trolleybus system thumb|Solaris Bus & Coach|Solaris trolleybus on the Arnhem trolleybus system in the Netherlands thumb|right|Video of a trolleybus in Ghent, Belgium thumb|right|New Flyer trolleybus in [[San Francisco]] A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tram (in the 1910s and 1920s), road tram or simply trolley) is an electric bus that draws power from dual overhead lines (generally suspended from roadside posts) using spring-loaded or pneumatically raised trolley poles. Tw
AI overview
A trolleybus is an electric bus that gets its power from overhead wires using poles attached to the roof, allowing it to operate without needing batteries or fuel tanks. Trolleybuses matter because they offer cities a way to run clean public transportation while being simpler and less expensive than building rail systems like trams or trains.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
24 sectionsContents
- History
- Vehicle design
- Advantages
- Comparison to trams
- Comparison to motorbuses
- Disadvantages
- Comparison to trams
- Comparison to motorbuses
- Off-wire capability
- Dual-mode buses (combustion engine + overhead lines)
- Auxiliary Power Units (APUs)
- In-Motion Charging (IMC)
- Other considerations
- Two parallel wires
- Wire switches
- Manufacturing
- Transition to low-floor designs
- Double-decker trolleybuses
- Use and preservation
- See also
- Notes
- Further reading
- Periodicals
- External links
thumb|A Sunwin trolleybus in Shanghai, on the world's oldest operating trolleybus system thumb|Solaris Bus & Coach|Solaris trolleybus on the Arnhem trolleybus system in the Netherlands thumb|right|Video of a trolleybus in Ghent, Belgium thumb|right|New Flyer trolleybus in [[San Francisco]] A trolleybus (also known as trolley bus, trolley coach, trackless trolley, trackless tram (in the 1910s and 1920s), road tram or simply trolley) is an electric bus that draws power from dual overhead lines (generally suspended from roadside posts) using spring-loaded or pneumatically raised trolley poles. Two wires, and two trolley poles, are required to complete the electrical circuit. This differs from a tram or streetcar, which normally uses the track as the return path, needing only one wire and one pole (or pantograph). They are also distinct from other kinds of electric buses, which usually rely on batteries. Power is most commonly supplied as 600-volt direct current in older systems and 750-volts in newer systems, but there are exceptions.
Currently, around 300 trolleybus systems are in operation, in cities and towns in 43 countries. Altogether, more than 800 trolleybus systems have existed, but not more than about 400 concurrently.