I'm not quite sure what the provenance of the original statement was in the EVO article (and I was the one who posted it), but having thought about it it again recently it may just refer to the upgraded ICE part of the setup. Lotus have made a big thing about the Emira being their last ICE car so it might dilute the marketing to even make it mild hybrid.
I was also pondering some of the engineering based on what I saw of the dealer show car. A small(ish) (just a few kWh) battery pack for peak power supply could be located low down behind the seats - sort of mini Evija fashion. While adding weight, this wouldn't compromise the Emira's balance too much.
However, the bigger challenge would be the electric motor(s) and unless AMG are planning something that integrates the motors into the engine/gearbox setup in a way that preserves the packaging then I think this is purely fantasy. What I've seen so far suggests the motors at the other end from the engine in the C63.
So the next evolution of the 2.0 ICE will likely fit, I presume it's part of the reason Lotus went to AMG to have a sustainable engine option in the future since AMG will respond to future emissions regulations through engine development. However, even if the ICE unit is more powerful (and rumours suggest AMG have extracted a few more ponies from it) then there's no guarantee the Emira would adopt this state of tune; the current unit is already 'adjusted' down from the A45S implementation by some 50hp or so to meet whatever requirements Lotus has for it. I realise this could be various; torque profile, exhaust noise or even mpg (though suspect the latter will appeal to only a few Emira owners!) but the cynic in me thinks (perhaps wrongly) it is a marketing move to put clear space between the V6 and the i4 for now and I can understand that.
Once the V6 run has ended then Lotus have the headroom to do more with i4 model and I suspect we'll see some specials with various tune states (as per Evora / Exige) - especially towards the latter half of the model life.
Personally, given my planned i4 is going to be more GT sports for touring rather than track day weapon, I've come to the conclusion I'll be plenty happy with 360hp on the road. I'm more fixated on lower speed driver feedback so I can enjoy the car in more situations, even when not trying to press on at 7/10 or more. I had a Scooby back in the late nineties which was fairly quick for the time. I loved the car for blending practicality and performance, but the problem was that the steering was a tad numb and it, and the chassis, didn't come alive and offer feedback until you were starting to go silly speeds.
I remember a review once that compared the original R8 and the RS3 which in straight line speed were comparable (the RS3 might have even edged it). There was a quote from the review that has stuck with me (and tempered my addiction for acceleration and outright power!) which was
'it's more about how you go fast, than how fast you go'
So I'm pretty certain that if there are future Emira 'specials' with more power I'll be tempted to swap (after all, that addiction was just tempered and not eradicated!), but only if the upgrades don't compromise the low speed enjoyment!