The current iteration of the Volkswagen Beetle may not be long for this world, but the “Beetle” nameplate could live on in the form of a four-door, battery-powered electric car. As strange as it sounds, that’s the word coming out of the German automaker. A revolutionary new Beetle is already being considered by VW execs, and it’s not going to come in the shape of the model that we’re used to seeing.

This is a new development that, according to Autocar, has actually been in consideration for some time now. Details are still scarce at this point, but it is understood that a four-door version is the more likely setup in the event this plan gets off the ground. If it happens, the model would also be based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform, the scalable electric vehicle architecture that’s going to be used by a majority of the company’s future EV models under its newly minted ID nameplate.

All of this sounds exciting, but there are expectations that need to be tempered. Volkswagen design boss Klaus Bischoff admitted that the automaker must first focus on producing mainstream models before diving into “emotional” cars like this new version of the Beetle. “Our duty is to get the volume models underway,” he said. “These cars have super complicated technology, and if you do too much, it’s an overload. Then we can move into more exotic cars and the field of emotion.”

Even if he did his best to douse the hype, Bischoff also admitted that he already has a sketch of what a four-door Beetle could look like on the MEB platform. But just because he has one, it doesn’t mean that it’s a priority for the company. That said, there’s still a plan to develop emotional models like this new version of the Beetle. Just don’t expect it to arrive in the short term. In fact, it could be another two or three years before a decision is made on whether to bring such a car to production.

Ultimately, Volkswagen’s decision will hinge on whether its even worth it to take this step. Those who are clamoring to see the Beetle nameplate return have a pretty strong ally: VW CEO Herbert Diess. According to Autocar, Diess is a big fan of bringing emotional cars to the brand’s range to sit alongside its standard models. Given his role, he ultimately has the final input on whether we see a four-door Beetle EV in the future.

To be clear, there is a lot of potential for an electric Beetle. Part of that potential is tied into the emotional resonance of the model. The Beetle, no matter if it’s scoffed at by some people, is still Volkswagen’s most iconic model. The automaker will have its work cut out for it to ensure that this new version is received much better than the last one, but there are a lot of different ways that VW can go about it now that VW has a blank slate from which it can build this new model. It doesn’t hurt, too, that electrification is on the table now.

Whether this happens in the future or not, all of it rests on how invested Volkswagen is on the idea. From the looks of it, there’s plenty of interest today on the vision of seeing a four-door electric Beetle. Here’s to hoping, then, that the interest in the model persists long enough for it to become reality.

Autocar0}

Check out what we said about the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle in our full review.

Read up on the 2017 Volkswagen Beetle Carbriolet

Read more Volkswagen news.