It's still very possible to EoC with an Insight and a bad 2nd gear down-synchro and no battery, but frankly the hybrid system makes EoC
really slick.
This is my shift knob:
There are 3 buttons on it.
Left button: momentary button that tells the ECU I'm moving at 2mph.
Middle button: toggle button that tells the ECU I'm pressing the clutch
Right button: momentary button that tells the ECU I'm pressing the brake
To EoC: With the car in neutral, toggle the middle button to fool the car into thinking you have the clutch in. Then tap the left button. The car thinks you're holding the clutch and slowing to a stop, and so it quietly and smoothly shuts the engine off. The 12v battery still charges, because the DC-DC converter is taking energy from the large hybrid pack.
To start the engine: Simply untoggle the middle (clutch) button. The car sees you're not holding the clutch in anymore, and silently and smoothly starts the engine, roughly matching revs even if you're at higher speed. Then just put it in gear and go.
When slowing down, the right button turns on the brake lights and applies full regenerative braking, without having to touch the mechanical brake pedal.