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Originally Posted by nbalthaser
depends on how you're defining "true electric-only". if by electric-only you mean the car is being propelled by the electric motor only then the hch.ii is definitely a true electric-only. the hch.ii switches in and out of electric-only mode seamlessly and often. one doesn't have to really look at the gauges. toyota's hsd is no easier to get into electric-only mode than the hch.ii in my opinion. neither car has the battery storage capability to keep it in electric-only mode for very long anyhow.
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In order to activate electric-only mode in a Prius, gently press the gas pedal. The car accelerates forward without using the engine.
In order to do it in a Civic, you accelerate using the gas engine until about 25
mph or less, making sure you're on a level or downhill slope, then you release the gas pedal and watch the instant mpg gauge until it hits 100. Once that happens (usually takes a few seconds), gently press the gas pedal as lightly and slowly as you can. Watch the gauges to see if mpg is still at 100 and you're using assist (white bars); if so, you are in electric-only mode. Keep watching the gauges so you know whether or not you're still in it.
Which of those two methods is the simplest? Only full hybrids can accelerate and go up hills in electric mode, and that's really the mode's main use -- doing things like shuffling through stop-and-go traffic, or going from stoplight to stoplight, etc., without ever turning the engine on. Cruising at a fixed speed without using the engine is fun but ultimately not very useful FE-wise because the engine does that efficiently anyway.