2005 Honda Insight Road Test

Power for the electrical components comes from a series of nickel-metalhydride batteries that make a total of 144 volts and have an output of6.5 amp-hours. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

Power for the electrical components comes from a series of nickel-metal hydride batteries that make a total of 144 volts and have an output of 6.5 amp-hours. The figures get a little more impressive when you consider that this power source weighs just 48 pounds and neatly fits into a 12 by 16 inch space, out of sight and out of mind behind the front seats. Yet, the fact that impresses most people is that the Insight's electrical half is self-sustaining - you don't need to plug it in.

Rather than letting the power generated by the gasoline engine or the friction and heat from the brakes go to waste, the IMA works as a generator to recapture a portion of that energy. Without being told, and more importantly, felt, the IMA's recharging function routes a trickle of energy back to the batteries, keeping the system 'juiced'. I wasn't able to deplete the batteries during my week-long test, but should this happen to you IMA will feed off the gasoline engine to recharge its batteries.

While my city's main arteries aren't as clogged as the throughways of the America's largest cities, or rush hour in Tokyo, you won't need to experience these to appreciate the advantages of the Insight's Idle Stop feature, one of the key components of the IMA system. With anchors on, and speed close to a halt, the system cuts power to the engine, provided that the clutch pedal is depressed or the car is in neutral. There's no sputtering, lurching or stalling, just an eerie silence of muted surroundings, and a blinking green light which vibrantly indicates 'negative' RPMs on the tach. All functions of the car - the fan, stereo, and electrically-assisted steering continue to function while Idle Stop is in place. Release the clutch while the vehicle is in gear, or shift the stubby lever into first, and the electric motor instantly whizzes the engine back to life - quicker than you can release the clutch pedal. The only glitch with the system is that it won't work if the battery is more than three-quarters drained, if the A/C isn't on "ECON" economy mode, and it's a mixed bag in stop and go traffic; sometimes the system kicks in and sometimes... not.

Power is routed through what might be the only ordinary component in the car, a five-speed manual gearbox. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

From there, power is routed through what might be the only ordinary component in the car, a five-speed manual gearbox. But appearances may be deceiving, as behind the Civic shift knob's longish throws and typical Honda precision, are exorbitantly tall gear ratios. Second gear, for example is good for over 70 mph, while the car's meager 107 mph top speed can be reached in third, fourth and fifth at which point the electrical assist and weed-eater motor no longer provide enough thrust to combat drag. In-gear acceleration isn't exactly speedy, but the additional torque the DC Brushless motor helps.