( CNN ) -- It 's an unnerving realization : the futuristic films of your youth have become reality . The lasers that terrified a generation in HG Wells 's War of the Worlds are now used in everything from DVD players to the operating table . While Star Trek 's farfetched `` language translator '' is as simple as downloading an app to your smart phone . Now the slick electric cars that battled against each other in 1980s sci-fi thriller `` Tron '' have leaped from the movies to our front doors . Introducing the world 's first Formula E motor race , an international competition where high-tech electric cars speed around some of the world 's major cities -- all without a drop of gasoline in sight . `` These motors are something no one has ever done before -- it 's pretty science fiction , '' said Formula E CEO Alejandro Agag . `` If you think of movies like Tron or Star Wars and the noise those cars make , Formula E will sound a lot like that . The sound of the electric engine is quite interesting -- it 's much lower , very futuristic , a bit like a jet fighter . '' Brave new world . The future , it seems , is much closer than you think . From September next year these battery-powered beasts will be zipping around 10 of the biggest cities in the world , as part of a year-long competition that could revolutionize not just the sport -- but the future of transportation . Much like traditional Formula One racing , the competition will feature 10 teams , each with two drivers , who will go head-to-head in 60-minute races . Beijing -- one of the most polluted cities in the world -- is expected to be the first to host the radical competition showcasing green technology . Other cities will include London , Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro . Already , major motorsport teams have signed up to the ambitious plan -- including U.S. team Andretti Autosport , Britain 's Drayson Racing , and China Racing -- each expected to spend between $ 5 million and $ 10 million developing their high-tech engines . Watch this : The aerodynamics of F1 . `` We 're not trying to compete with Formula One -- we 're positioning ourselves in a completely different way , '' said Agag . `` FE will be much more focused on new technology , '' he added . `` The lower level of sound also means we can race in the heart of major cities without the same level of disruption . '' Battery beasts . As the name suggests , Formula E is all about electric power -- and that means big battery engines . Each battery weighs 200 kilograms , producing around 200 kilowatts of power . Depending on the speed , an electric engine can last anywhere from a few hours to just 25 minutes . And if you thought they lacked the grunt of traditional engines , think again . These battery beasts can hit speeds of 220 kilometers per hour . The gas pump is also a thing of the past in the brave new world of zero-emission racing . Once the battery is used , it can be charged again as many times as you like . `` From the outside they look just like other racing cars , '' said Agag . `` They 're slightly smaller with more weight towards the back where the battery is . `` At the moment the electricity is from batteries but in the future it could run on different sources of energy . We 're already working on a hydrogen prototype . '' Green machines . Driving this new technology is n't just an era of Tron-like expansion . It 's a racing industry grappling with increased environmental concerns . For more than 60 years , Formula One has raced gas-guzzling cars across a planet which is now facing not just the threat of climate change , but limited and expensive oil supplies . Two years ago motorsport 's international governing body , the Federation International de l'Automobile ( FIA ) , announced an ambitious plan for an electric car race that would mimic the hugely popular F1 series . Now as the deadline for Formula E looms , it could have a big impact on the future of car manufacturing . `` If you look in the past , a lot of development in the car industry has come from racing , '' said Agag . `` The transfer of technology is potentially very big . `` It 's important because people are not buying electric cars at the moment -- they think they 're too slow , with limited range , and ugly . But if you show that they can go faster , longer , you 'll change people 's minds -- they 'll be more likely to buy electric . '' When Formula E waves its chequered flag for the first time in September next year , it will be a momentous moment in the history of motor racing -- and a step towards the sci-fi future .
The future is electric -- introducing Formula E racing . New motor racing competition features battery-powered cars . Engine sounds like something from sci-fi films Tron and Star Wars . Cars can hit speeds of 220 kilometers per hour .