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Any ICE benefits from hybrid assist. Ram's eTorque reduces combined fuel consumption 15% in the 1500 full size pickup.
You still haven't said what vehicle YOU intend to modify and make a hybrid. Is your grandparent's Accord the vehicle? You (or your grandparents) are quite the leadfoot if you are maintaining 50-70% engine load cruising on flat ground. What is you cruise speed?
Stop / Start is not universal in the USA because our fuel economy standards are low and fuel is cheap. Automakers don't need to add stop/start to hit CAFE standards so they don't add it. The fine for missing CAFE targets is only $55 per 1 mpg. Fuel is cheap so fuel economy is not a priority for US drivers. Plenty will even disable stop / start on vehicles that come with it. If US drivers cared more about fuel economy car manufacturers would care more about fuel economy.
It is a different story in the EU were fuel economy standards are strict, fines are steep, and fuel is expensive. Stop / start is quickly becoming standard and I would expect it to be universal in 2025 when the next level of fleet CO2 standards hit.
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