The updated 2020 Honda Civic Type R hot hatchback was revealed not long ago and, believe it or not, it'll soon be time for the Japanese automaker to think what it'll do next in the performance department. You see, the current Civic generation dates back to 2015 and, sooner or later, a redesign will be in order. Will this redesign turn the long-running Civic lineup into an all-electric vehicle? Probably not (at least not yet), but it turns out the Civic Type R's engineering team is already examining this possibility.

Motor Trend spoke to Civic Type R project leader Hideki Kakinuma about the likelihood the Nurburgring record-setting vehicle could adopt a more environmentally-friendly powertrain at some point. His response could not have been clearer: "Yes, of course an electric Type R is possible."

While that's not an official confirmation it's also not an outright denial. Kakinuma strongly believes Honda needs to continue developing and building high-performance vehicles, and an all-electric propulsion system could do the trick, although it would still need to provide the proper excitement drivers have to expect from the brand. "If all the base concept and philosophy of being a Type R is fulfilled with an electric powertrain… sure, this can happen," he added.

But before something like this happens, Kakinuma says there's still work to do on the combustion-engined Type R. More specifically, its front-drive chassis and 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque still has greater potential.

"No, we are not at the limit," he says. "I personally believe that we can go beyond this level with a front-drive configuration. If I continue to work on Civic Type R, it will be to even further improve the performance." However, Kakinuma also admitted these improvements likely won't be done on the current Type R because it's quickly approaching the end of its product cycle.

That means the 11th-generation Civic Type R is already being discussed, though it's still too early to know whether or not management gives it the approval. Type R is still a niche product, after all. But assuming the Type R line does continue, Kakinuma and his team of engineers are keen to go all-electric one day.