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That's funny because that technique seems to more or less work in the Insight. I don't "floor it", but I accelerate fairly quickly. Maybe I will do some comparisons, but my perception in the past was, a short burst of low MPG w/high assist and then maintaining speed worked better than a longer burst of higher (but still low due to acceleration) MPG and then the same. Maybe it has something to do with the Insight's lightness and the fact it only has a 3 cylinder engine. Maybe the electrical assist adds more assist in comparison to engine output.
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The technique of accelerating fast from stops then backing off early I believe is designed to minimize engine pumping losses due to having a partially-closed throttle during the acceleration, so the goal is to have a completely open throttle body, but (on a manual transmission) still shift as soon as possible. (I suspect this would have a more profound difference on a "normal" car with an oversized engine than a hybrid) Since it requires take the same amount of total energy to accelerate a given weight to a given speed regardless of weight, the best results will be found by maximizing the efficiency of the engine -- staying at near the optimal RPMs with a completely open throttle body.
Also, as the CVT systems in the Honda Hybrids tend to kick in more IMA assist to "hold" the engine in that efficient range as long as possible, the effect is even greater - you get the maximum power available at the optimum RPM + lots of electric boost.
The HCH-II drive-by-wire system probably already automatically incorporates this technique even at lower throttle settings moreso than the Insight/HCH-I, and opening it up more may have the trigger the less efficient set of cams (new on HCH-II) to generate more power.