A
trolleybus (also known as
trolley bus,
trolley coach,
trackless trolley,
trackless tram [in early years] or
trolley) is an
electric bus that draws power from overhead wires (generally suspended from roadside posts) using spring-loaded
trolley poles. Two wires and 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 also are distinct from other kinds of
electric buses, which usually rely on
batteries. Power is most commonly supplied as 600-
volt direct current, but there have been, and are, exceptions.