Final testing got underway early today in Beijing ahead of the first Formula E championship race that will see drivers push the latest in electric car technology to the limit in a bid to be crowned champion.

The race gets underway at 4pm (0800 GMT) with drivers completing 25 laps of a circuit around the iconic "Bird's Nest" stadium.

Ten teams are participating in the Beijing race, the first in a series of ten that will take place around the world over the next ten months.

During the first season each team will be driving the same car, designed with components supplied by some of the biggest companies in motor sport, including McLaren and Williams.

The race organisers say that by the second season, teams will be able to design and develop their own cars.

While the technology behind Formula E remains relatively unknown, many leading Formula One legends have already come on board. Four-time Formula One world champion Alain Prost of France is one of the men behind the E.Dams-Renault team, while his son Nicholas Prost will be in the driver's seat.

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