You can't put a price on "living history". I bet she has seen some changes over the years.
Mr. Nelson is correct -- for example, the first LA Auto Show (1907) featured several electrics.
But on the West Coast (and Cambridge, Mass) in North America, you'll often find the latest generation of those electric buses -- just with a couple tethers...
Called "Trolleybuses", the twin cantilever design allows lane changes, turns, and superior propulsion in hilly terrain.
San Francisco Electric Bus and Cable System
Several years ago, I had a chance to ride a similar bus in San Francisco. What a quiet ride, and super clean. It did require the driver to reset the cantilevers using a the rope/pulley mechanism when one pulled loose. Otherwise, slick and regenerative.
Most older folks will tell stories of riding the "streetcar". Many cities had these but sadly were tossed aside for vehicle lanes. Toronto still has a nice line (I also had the chance to ride one a few years ago)
A classic, restored 1920 Toronto electric streetcar
Light rail has replaced some, but many cities like mine gave up on efficient mass transit decades ago...
RH77