I went behind the scenes at Porsche and saw why electric cars are definitely the future

Whether you like it or not, the future of motoring is battery power. The UK government wants us all to start switching to (EVs) as soon as possible, and with the impending ban on new petrol cars, it seems more likely than ever that British motorists will consider an EV as their next mode of transport.

Of course, there are still plenty of concerns about going electric, including range anxiety, lack of public charging and the overall safety of batteries, but things are improving at a rapid rate.

Some EVs can now be recharged in a matter of minutes and will easily travel for over 300 miles before needing to go near a plug.

Motorway service stations are finally getting more rapid chargers installed, and paying at the pump is far less complicated with platforms such as Gridserve and Instavolt accepting quick contactless payments rather than needing dedicated smartphone apps.

Things look set to get even better in the future with car makers now investing huge amounts of time and money into this more eco-friendly technology.

Express.co.uk recently visited development centre in Weissach, near Stuttgart, to see how things are improving and what's next for electric motoring.

The massive site-home to over 7,000 Porsche staff-first opened in 1971 and now covers 12 hectares of German countryside.

Along with the usual offices, there are vast areas for development and testing, with the campus even featuring its very own track, where cars can be put through their paces before being released onto the roads.

Despite its history of producing some of the most iconic petrol-powered cars in the world, Porsche is clearly fully committed to an EV future, and it's in Weissach that a vast amount of trials are taking place in a bid to make things faster, more efficient and a whole lot safer.

Thanks to this investment in EV technology, the performance car maker has already managed to increase the range of its cars with some models now able to travel over 400 miles before needing to stop.

EV power also helps to make these vehicles incredibly fast, with Porsche boasting that it currently holds a number of lap records at tracks such as the infamous Nürburgring.

Things are expected to get even better over the next few years, with the company hoping to squeeze 800 km of range out of batteries by 2030. That means motorists could almost travel from London to Inverness without stopping.

Along with making them go further, improvements have also been made to the life of these massive battery packs and the speed at which they charge.

Many motorists have concerns about batteries losing their power and not refilling fast enough, but Porsche reckons EVs will easily survive at least 15 years - or around 180,000 miles - before suffering any range issues.

All batteries will degrade over time, but new Battery Care modes are helping to keep things at an optimal performance and reduce the chance of damage.

Interestingly, charging speeds and longevity can be determined by the weather. A very hot and very cold climate is not ideal for batteries, and it's also never a good idea to keep filling things to 100%.

To help combat these problems, Porsche now includes technology that can keep things warm - or cold - under the bonnet when the conditions change outside.

Luckily, the UK actually has a very good atmosphere for battery-powered cars, with Porsche telling us that temperatures of around 15 degrees are the most ideal for charging.

To help keep on top of how its cars will operate in the real world, Porsche puts its batteries in giant ovens/freezers that can replicate very hot and super cold climates.

Porsche is also using clever intelligence to keep an eye on battery health with warnings issued to owners about impending issues, battery ageing and stopping the dreaded "Sudden Death" from taking place. This is where the battery stops working and is usually due to rapid and frequent overheating and cooling of the power pack.

Another issue some have been concerned about is safety. Images of electric cars on fire hasn't helped to allay those fears, and it's something Porsche spends a lot of time and expense on. It's huge crash facility, which can also be found at its vast Weissach site, rams hundreds of cars into brick walls to see how they respond, with cameras catching every minute detail of the accident.

Vehicles with electric drives present specific safety challenges. These include the increased vehicle weight compared to conventionally powered cars, and the potential risk of electric shock in the high-voltage system. Although there is no flammable fuel, a safety concept for the flammable electrolyte and possible short circuits must be developed.

"With our three-part requirements approach, a level of safety is achieved that even goes beyond the legal requirements and is at least at the level of our conventionally powered vehicles," said Dr. Simon Maurer, Governor of the Porsche Cayenne & Macan safety system.

The batteries are also fully immersed in liquid - about one meter deep - and blasted at high pressure with water to make sure they can survive wet conditions on the road.

As Porsche explains, "even after prolonged exposure, no water must penetrate the hermetically sealed battery body."

The final piece of the EV puzzle is what to do with the batteries once the car reaches the end of its life.

Once again, Porsche is now working on full recycling and aims to recover valuable raw materials from high-voltage batteries after their use in vehicles.

It's hoped these can then be reused to make new batteries.

"With the help of innovative recycling processes, we strive to increase our independence from volatile and geopolitically unstable raw material markets," said Barbara Frenkel, Executive Board Member for Procurement at Porsche.

"Circular Economy is a core pillar of our sustainability strategy, and with this pilot project, we want to underscore our ambitions."

The electric car revolution may have got off to a stuttering start, but the future definitely appears way more promising.