Anyone seen any articles on the following idea?
Motorways and other trunk roads gain overhead transmission lines over one or two lanes in each direction, so that tall wide vehicles (lorries, coaches) can send up rack-and-pinion rigs so they can switch to electric power while continuously in one lane.
Licensed vehicles have to use computer-controlled steering and a speed limiter system, ensuring the vehicle stays precisely in lane while collecting elecric power. (A version of the guided bus principle.) Vehicles also have a computer-controlled braking distance system. Rack-and-pinion rigs could even be hinged so as to give in case vehicle needs to avoid hazard quickly.
Enables a shift from petroleum to electric for heavy distance without having to requisition more land or lay more tracks. Enables a more renewable network to power far more vehicle transport. Weak spots during heatwaves (air conditioning demand) and winter anticyclones, but vehicles can just switch to liquid engine in such instances.
Trolley Buses
Overhead electric wires have been used to power buses since 1901, such buses are called trolley buses and were once common in Britain. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trolleybus. Automatic control of the vehicle is not required.
However I have not seen any proposal to use overhead wires to power any other kind of road vehicles. Automatic control would be a massive improvement road safety provided collisions with cyclists and pedestrians could be avoided. Trains are more energy efficient than road vehicles due to energy losses in road tyres, and have the important safety benefit of flanged wheels which prevent sideways skids.