To promote the performance of the batteries used in hybrid vehicles, an effective test profile is needed. A test profile could also improve the efficiency of battery development research efforts. This paper proposes a test profile for battery equivalence research, which can accurately simulate practical operating conditions and make inconsistency among batteries. The proposed test profile is based on practical data acquired from the hybrid Polymer Electrolyte Membrane (PEM) fuel cell buses demonstrated at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. The control strategy of the demonstration buses is first explained, followed by presentation of maps of the acquired data. Using the maps, the practical conditions are discussed. Importantly, a "Three-Ridge" map style is proposed by analyzing the current density statistics. Additionally, a fast Fourier transform (FFT) analysis of the battery current is adopted to find the conversion frequency of the current in practical conditions. Based on these analyses, a credible battery test profile for hybrid PEM fuel cell buses is proposed. Finally, an experiment verifies that the proposed test profile can simulate the practical operating conditions of a hybrid vehicle battery pack. (C) 2012 Elsevier By. All rights reserved.