The company's global marketing manager, Pierre Lahutte, was commenting on the "eerily silent" driving experience associated with sitting behind the wheel of New Holland's NH2 tractor which runs on hydrogen and oxygen, producing nothing but water.

"In fact the only sound is the electric motor working, which is a bit like the noise a large radio-controlled tractor makes," Mr Lahutte said.

"And when it's stationary there is no noise at all, as it doesn't need to idle."

Interestingly, the absence of a conventional combustion engine could pave the way tractors-of-the-future look since the vertical exhaust pipe is no longer, replaced by a small pipe under the cab that lets the only by-product of the fuel cell (water), out.

Having tantalised energy-concious producers with the concept over the past few months, New Holland concedes it still is not able to come up with a price tag.

Much will depend on the cost of fuel cells.

"All the technology is there and companies are already using it - it's only the cost of the components that are prohibitive," Mr Lahutte said.

"But put these into mass production and cost could reduce dramatically."

The suggestion is that the volumes associated with the automotive industry will be the key to paring back the expensive of the technology.

New Holland says it already has a second-generation prototype waiting in the wings, expecting it to be on-farm in 2010.

The company says it has plans to have production models of its NH2 tractor by 2013-15.

FOOTNOTE: New Holland’s NH2 prototype hydrogen tractor won a prestigious Gold Medal at the recent SIMA Innovation Awards in France.