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Originally Posted by HyChi
When I mentioned it not running on "electric only", that was based on my experience. It appeared to me that the ICE appearing to still be running, albeit in the background and using only a tiny fraction of the gas it would ordinarily be using at that time. The energy required to maintain speed and momentum, however, appeared to be from the IMA batteries. If I've got this wrong, I apologize. I'm still learning and I appreciate all the information my friends here at GreenHybrid can offer. Thanks!
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The ICE is spinning, but it is burning no gas at all. Same thing happens when you coast. The reason Honda did it this way is because it takes a second to spin the engine back up after it stops, which is unacceptable while driving, but acceptable (although annoying) when moving after a stop. So the engine is always connected to the wheels but the valves are sealed so it doesn't slow down the car much.
In contrast, full hybrids can move the car immediately via the electric motors while it waits for the engine to spin up. Plus the engine is actually rarely connected directly to the wheels as it's usually only used to generate electricity that heads straight for the electric motor.