Purging a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with dry N-2 to remove water in the catalyst layer and the membrane during shutdown is necessary for ensuring successful startup and avoiding damages from the freeze/thaw cycling during cold-start. However, carrying N-2 onboard may be impractical for mobile applications. Vacuum-assisted drying can accelerate and aid in water removal by reducing the boiling point of water, thus enhancing the evaporation and diffusion rate. This method is applied to a single cell PEMFC and compared to purging using dry N-2. The drying process was monitored using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and the results were fitted to an equivalent circuit model. Our experimental results show the vacuum-assisted drying method may provide faster and more thorough water removal than N-2 purging. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.