While a Formula One race can wake the dead with the roar of engines, the electric buzz of a Formula E competition is much easier on the ears - and that's attracting a new generation of race fans.

"Formula E is ideal for families and children to watch because the level of noise is much lower," Alejandro Agag, CEO of Formula E, said during a recent trip to Shanghai. "Our audience has a much younger demographic."

Shanghai, which will likely become the third Chinese stop on the Formula E circuit after Beijing and Hong Kong, also hosts Formula One.