There are a number of goals and performance objectives for the National Fuel Cell Bus Program:

• Facilitate the development of fuel cell bus technologies
• Explore pathways to commercialization
• Increase fuel cell durability –  4 to 6 years/20,000 to 30,000 hours
• Increase fuel cell reliability –  more than 90% availability
• Reduce fuel cell bus cost  –  less than 5x comparable transit bus
• Doubling transit bus fuel efficiency to reduce petroleum consumption and enhance energy security
• Reduce transit bus emissions – exceed 2010 EPA standards
• Enhance public acceptance of fuel cell vehicle.

The CALSTART strategy to advance fuel cell technology utilizes three parallel development paths: a direct route that develops and accelerates testing on the best existing fuel cells; an evolutionary route that combines smaller fuel cells with other supporting technologies; and a component route that develops the core enabling sub-systems fuel cells will need to succeed.