Nowadays, increasingly stringent directives in the transport sector open interesting possibilities for the development of new traction technologies based on electrochemical storage and fuel cells, that are characterized by some limitations: the electrochemical storage systems have a limited range while fuel cells have not a proper response capability for very variable load demands. With the aim to realize a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) able to increase range of autonomy, CNR ITAE has designed a minibus (Class B-Category M3) having an electric motor of 40 kW powered by a polymeric fuel cell system of 20 kW and a lithium battery system of 70 kWh. The study is focused on evaluation of the hybrid propulsion system performance in different operating conditions. In particular, powertrain configuration and energy management strategies have been studied to optimize the efficiency of the HEV, overcoming the limitations of these technologies, reducing energy losses and increasing range of the vehicle. Tests on the road have been conducted and energy production and consumption of the vehicle have been logged. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.