Highly spectacular every time it happens. Back in the 1940’s, just when trolley lines on street rails were going out of operation, the trolleys were replaced with electrically-powered buses that used the existing overhead trolley power lines as their power source. They were quickly replaced with Diesel-powered buses in the 1950’s, as the maintenance of the overhead lines, and the cumbersome means of retaining contact with the power lines proved to be a continuing problem.
On-board generation of the necessary electrical power is the only practical resolution for safe, reliable power to be delivered for the operation of electromotive vehicles. Batteries are, and always have been, a dead-end, useful only for certain niche and specialized applications. Diesel-electric locomotives have been the main passenger and freight haulers since the early years after the end of the Second World War, and are demonstrated to be one of the most efficient ways to power railroads over long distances.
I’m inclined to think a diesel hybrid using less explosive batteries like zinc air might be a reasonable alternative. Need better electrolyte and more energy storage for zinc air and that could put it over the top.