The new international championship for fully-electric racing cars just held its first major test session at the Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire, England.

The series kicks off with a race through the streets of Beijing in September. It will include events in 10 cities, concluding with an “E-prix” around London’s Battersea Park next June.

Organizers hope it will transform the way we think about electric cars, as well as providing a test-bed for new technologies, which can help to improve their performance.

The Donington test marks the first time the cars have run in anger – and the first time members of the public have been able to see how they compare to more traditional racing machines.

The BBC’s Theo Leggett went to see how the new cars look – and sound. Watch his report above.

Text and video courtesy of the BBC.