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Electric Bus Simulation Solutions for Workforce Development

Interested in FAAC simulation solutions?

Talk to one of our experts about using simulators in your training.
Get Simulation Now!

Interested in FAAC simulation solutions?

Talk to one of our experts about using simulators in your training.
Get Simulation Now!

Simulation Technology for the Transition to Electric Buses

Modernizing mass transportation depends on workforce development. FAAC specializes in electric bus training simulators equipped with hardware, software, vehicle dynamics modeling, and training scenarios that help transit operators make a smooth transition to electric bus operations.

FAAC simulators are fully customizable and available in both open-cab and closed-cab configurations. Every simulator offers a wide, geometrically correct field of view of up to 340 degrees, realistic dash controls, and an optional motion system. Full-cab simulators can be built to match your fleet precisely, including working physical mirrors, OEM gauges, and other vehicle-specific hardware.

With a single click, a FAAC bus simulator can be reconfigured to model the dynamics and behavior of a wide range of transit vehicles, including both internal combustion engine (ICE) buses and zero-emission vehicles such as battery-electric buses (BEBs). Full-cab simulators can also include FAAC’s Transit Response live-action, scenario-based interaction system, designed to prepare transit workers for the full range of passenger interactions and onboard emergencies.

FAAC Full Cab Bus Simulator | MB 2000

FAAC Full Cab Bus Simulator | MB 2000

Resources and Support for Instructors

With FAAC, technology is only half the solution. Time and again, our customers find that the real value of immersive bus operator simulation training is the ability to focus safely and fully on the trainee during driving exercises. Without the distractions and risks of real-world training, instructors can pinpoint exactly where students are succeeding and where they need improvement, whether in everyday operations or in handling low-frequency, high-risk events in line with agency policy and procedure.

To help agencies integrate these tools into existing programs, FAAC has Certified TSI Instructors overseeing the training and onboarding for transit agencies. During this phased process, the FAAC trainer meets with instructors, reviews the existing curriculum, discusses the current state of training, and helps the agency determine the best way to implement simulation within its training program.

This onboarding also includes hands-on, one-on-one instruction for training staff, covering scenario editing and authoring tools, the fundamentals of effective simulation sessions, and practical use of simulation-based training for both ICE and ZEB/BEB vehicles.

Driver Training Technology That Meets Operator Needs

Every simulator arrives preloaded with a standard library of scripted transit driving scenarios. These modules emphasize core transit operations, tasks aligned with Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements, and skills specific to electric mass transit, including:

  • Regenerative braking and BEB braking techniques
  • Electric battery bus familiarization and operation
  • Route-specific BEB/ZEB operations
  • Charge scheduling with a focus on on-route and opportunity charging
  • Vehicle positioning
  • Balancing situational awareness of driving conditions with vehicle’s state of charge

FAAC’s programmable simulation software supports a completely customizable combination of traffic densities and behaviors, weather conditions, and more. All of these variables can be adjusted by the instructor in real time. Instructors can also build their own custom scenarios to address challenges and concerns unique to your community, or create geospecific simulations to capture key aspects of your retail routes.

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Electric Bus Simulator Curriculum Development

Every FAAC Transit electric bus simulator comes with VITALS, FAAC’s Virtual Instructor/Trainee Assessment & Learning System.

VITALS is an interactive assessment tool that records training performance and allows the instructor to forecast student performance behind the wheel. It’s more than simply a “score sheet”: VITALS acts as an interactive playbook for the instructor.

VITALS records every action the student takes during the simulated drive: audio and video of the trainee behind the wheel, braking and accelerating, steering, curb-kicks, responses to traffic signals, etc. The system annotates the timeline, tracking trainee actions in color-coded zones so the trainee can see their progress at a glance.

During the after-action review, the instructor can step through the color-coded timeline with the trainee, reviewing the scenario conditions from a variety of points of view (behind the wheel, overhead, roadside, etc.), so the trainee can objectively assess the interaction among driving/traffic/environmental conditions and their own driving decisions. VITALS then helps trainers develop custom curricula for each trainee based on recognized best practices, agency policy, and that trainee’s specific strengths and areas of improvement.

The Student Drive History allows an instructor to review how and why a trainee earned a certain rating, and it can be custom-configured for each organization. VITALS retains all historical information for each drive, including green, yellow, and red ratings. The Student Progression displays the variability in a student’s scores as they train in the simulator.

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VITALS Operator Performance Dashboard

The VITALS Operator Performance Dashboard is an electric bus-specific addition to VITALS. This unique training feature graphs and maps how the trainee’s driving behavior affects battery-electric bus performance and range, scenario by scenario. No other training system on the market provides trainees, instructors, and agencies with this level of insight into the interactions among operator behavior, driving conditions, route layout, and vehicle performance.

VITALS for electric buses:

  • Prepares Operators to maximize EV technology
  • Trains Operators to think of regen management as “fueling” the battery-electric bus (BEB)
  • Helps trainers and students identify driving behaviors and tendencies
  • Improves BEB adaptive driving skills, allowing regen to work as intended
  • Gives trainees practice with timing and learning the feel for BEB stopping distances
  • Builds Operator confidence, offsetting range anxiety

This is a powerful tool for instructors to support best practices for electric vehicle driving and help trainees understand the interplay among acceleration behavior, braking habits, driving tendencies, and the vehicle’s state of charge (SOC).

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Get the Most Out of Bus Technology Grants 

Many grant programs are available to support the wider adoption of zero-emission bus (ZEB) and battery electric bus (BEB) technology. For most agencies, the two biggest opportunities continue to be the Federal Transit Administration’s Bus and Bus Facilities (BBF) and Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) competitive grant program.

Low-No funds help state and local governmental authorities purchase or lease zero-emission and low-emission transit buses. They also support agencies acquiring, constructing, and leasing workforce development technology and facilities. The FTA Low-No grants require applicants to dedicate five percent of the requested federal award to workforce development and fleet transition plans. Many agencies find this intimidating, especially considering the range of ZEB, BEB, and electrification options rapidly becoming available.

Fortunately, the Low-No program also includes a partnership provision. Naming a workforce training “development partner” in your grant application offers a huge advantage. Doing so doesn’t just bring in a qualified collaborator to help you properly integrate ZEB/BEB operations into your existing training program; it also automatically fulfills the federal requirement for a competitive procurement process. This decreases the application decision timeline and prepares you to hit the ground running once your funding is approved.

FAAC has experience working with agencies as a named partner on Low-No and BBF grants, helping them fulfill the workforce development requirement built into those processes using high-fidelity bus driving simulators.

Funding Success With FAAC

To date, FAAC has been a named partner on more than 20 Low-No grant applications, helping agencies nationwide to achieve their funding and development goals.

For example, FAAC was the named partner on a Low-No grant application submitted by Santa Maria Regional Transit (SMRT) in Santa Maria, CA. SMRT was ultimately awarded a $6.6 million Low-No grant, covering the cost of six new Gillig zero-emission buses and a FAAC MB 2000 training simulator.

According to SMRT Transit Director Gamaliel Anguiano, their agency definitely benefited from being able to use a named partner:

“You can find a solution that is already time proven, time tested, and identify them as a partner. Award of the grant is then also the award of the contract. Low-No really facilitated our opportunity to onboard this equipment in a way that might have been difficult through a traditional RFP … Outside of the Low-No program, this is a much slower process, one that delays the absolutely beneficial deployment of new technologies and training.”

Agencies in Augusta, GA, and Rock Region, AR, have also experienced success with FAAC as a named partner in their Low-No grant applications. Justin Avery, Rock Region METRO CEO, says, “We are excited to receive this award, ensuring our fleet is kept in safe, good, and more sustainable condition. We appreciate the FTA’s focus on aiding public transit agencies with innovative bus technology that helps the industry attract and retain operators and look forward to implementing the bus simulator in driver training.”

Your Partners for Best Practices in Electric Bus Operator Training

FAAC is an industry leader in advancing transit training technology and offers more than 50 years of experience providing simulation-based turnkey training solutions to first responders, public agencies, the military, and private industry. Twenty-five years ago, we developed the world’s first immersive bus transit training simulator—an achievement APTA named among the top 100 public transit safety improvements of the last 150 years. We’ve stayed at the forefront of immersive training technology and simulation development since.

By maintaining a large in-house team of simulation professionals across many training and research markets, we are uniquely positioned to offer a simulation platform that can model the entire transit Operator experience in any vehicle, giving you the tools you need to create efficient, effective, and engaging training sessions.

Our teams are dedicated to hard work, innovation, and bridging state-of-the-art technology with the art of possibility. Our customer support is unmatched. We are here to troubleshoot, diagnose, and answer your questions.

We don’t just sell equipment; we partner with communities, agencies, and their professional training staff to develop a custom training solution. We invest the time to understand your needs, then work closely with your team to develop and deliver the appropriate solution. FAAC’s consultants and engineers have the tools, knowledge, and enthusiasm to help support and maintain your simulators and keep you on the cutting edge of the industry.

Contact us today to learn how we can support your training needs.

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Related Simulator: MB 2000 Bus Simulator

The MB 2000 Bus Simulator is the highest-fidelity simulator available for training transit bus operators. This fully customizable system provides a true-to-life experience that prepares operators for real-life driving environments.

MB 2000 Bus Simulator