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Electric-Bus Simulator for New Flyer’s Vehicle Innovation Center

FAAC Delivers Worlds Most Advanced Electric-Bus Simulator for New Flyer’s Vehicle Innovation Center

Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA — February 26, 2018 FAAC Incorporated was selected by New Flyer to deliver the world’s first – bus simulator modeling New Flyers sophisticated Xcelsior® CHARGE battery-electric bus for its Vehicle Innovation Center. New Flyer, the largest transit bus manufacturer in North America, opened its impressive interactive VIC, Vehicle Innovation Center located next to the company’s Anniston manufacturing plant. The VIC, a gallery-like experience, is North America’s first innovation lab dedicated to the advancement of bus and coach technology that connects people to places with a focus on the environment.

You can view this video on Vimeo.

FAAC, known for its transit simulation training tools, blends the engineering know-how with the needs of driver training programs that use simulators to educate a variety of audiences on differing objectives. For New Flyer, FAAC delivered a simulator that modeled its Xcelsior® CHARGE™ bus.

While the simulator is a training tool, it also offers drivers the ability to test drive the innovation New Flyer is bringing to the market. With a variety of audiences ranging from engineers, maintenance crews, and training operators, each is able to learn different objectives on one training tool.
When working with all-electric, one primary training objective sought was the incorporation of regenerative braking, this feature along with other training attributes of an all-electric powered bus is important for training operators to fully comprehend.

Derek Fulk, Senior Project Manager for the simulator talked about the engineering on both sides of the project, “New Flyer has the most advanced bus technology hands-down and for them to look to FAAC for a simulator that showcases their innovation is a tremendous compliment.”

David Bouwkamp, FAAC’s Executive Director was on-hand for the VIC ceremony stated, “The simulator is a high-fidelity, fully representative replica of the Xcelsior® CHARGE bus [we] integrated with all of the OEM components found on the real bus. When an operator sits in the seat of this simulator they are immediately immersed in all the functions, features and attributes of the real bus. They are driving the real bus at that moment.”