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Batteries don't tend to fail suddenly. As time goes on, you gradually lose hybrid functions. First, you'll get a battery light, and you'll get less assist. Over time, assist will drop to zero, but you'll still start with the hybrid motor, have the highly efficient DC-DC converter, and have autostop. When the battery is almost completely dead, you'll lose autostop, but the DC-DC converter should still function. You'll probably have a lot of background charging at this point, which can hurt economy.
If you go to the pack and flip the switch, shutting it off, you'll have some 12v problems, as the DC-DC converter will only work when the engine is between... I want to say 1000 and 4000RPM? So, you won't have 12v charging when at idle, or when you're really flogging it to get on the highway. There are workarounds for this, though.
Aside from needing a workaround for the DC-DC converter, an HCH1 will run like a 1.3L, 2700lb car with a really tall transmission. Economy will probably be pretty close to the same, but it'll have a lot less power. You'll also have a CEL, which could be a problem, depending on where you live.
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