Honda has completed a series of field trials on a prototype hydrogen-based fuel cell vehicle that have offered a glimpse of a fully coherent fuel cell transport network.

The automotive firm has been working in conjunction with Kagoshima University and Yakushima Denko on the clean transport technology, according to reports from the Nikkei newswire.

Using resources from the tiny Yakushima Island - the southern-most of the four islands surrounding Japan - Honda was able to demonstrate the potential for a hydrogen powered transport economy.

The vehicle, named FCX fuel, was tested on the 100km circumference island in terrain rising as high as two kilometres above sea level.

Indeed, the mountainous region is one of the attractive features for the FCX, as the peaks help contribute to an annual rainfall of 8,000mm, providing a hydroelectric power source for the production of hydrogen gas through electrolysis.

The power station was connected to a hydrogen supply unit capable of storing enough resources to fill the car twice, enabling it to travel distances of up to 400km.

Zero waste products were generated from the vehicle, with the week-long trial hailed as an early indicator of a future fuel cell powered future.