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I don't disagree (entirely) Bob.
But with my "hobbled" Insight returning 80-95 mpg (US) in my current driving regimen, I believe *in my case* repairing the pack and bringing the hybrid functions back online would be a textbook illustration of diminished returns! I'm pretty sure even the low/moderate expense of refurbishing the pack couldn't be justified from a strictly financial/fuel saving angle.
Why? Because I have modified my driving style to mimic the major fuel-saving benefits of the IMA system.
In city driving, I'm manually killing the engine when coasting/stopped - actually, I'm more "aggressive" here than the IMA system would be on its own. And on the highway I monitor my right foot very carefully (and modulate load) to maintain lean burn as much as possible, which is how to get stellar highway fuel economy from this car.
A less motivated driver would be relying on a functional hybrid system for idle stop in the city and to keep the engine in its lean burn envelope (or "widen" that envelope) on the highway. For that driver, a pack repair would be a much more pressing concern (and probably more easily justifiable from a financial angle).
Again, I do plan to pull the pack and investigate refurbishing at some point. (Just not in the immediate future - too many projects!)
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