In order to study the advantages and outlook of clean buses, some 40 companies and government organisations participated in a Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking funded study on the various powertrain technologies available for urban buses in Europe from 2012 to 2030. The study facilitated by McKinsey & Company provides up-to-date comparative and objective well-to-wheel data of their sustainability, performance and economics, with the goal of substantiating the rationale behind introducing clean buses with alternative propulsion concepts and the respective infrastructure. 2013 will see the launch of a next phase study to deliver a business case for the economic uptake of hydrogen fuel cell technology in European public transport fleets.