In 2018, I bought my first Honda Insight for just $300. It was a silver 2001 – a tiny, quirky hybrid that many people overlooked. For me, it was the perfect blank canvas.
I’ve always loved cars, and I’ve always loved building things. The Insight combined both passions in one: a lightweight, efficient platform that invited tinkering.
I bought it with a failed IMA battery and some cosmetic issues. After bringing it home, I fixed it up and installed a double DIN head unit to modernize the interior. Over the years, I drove it around the country and back and forth to Arizona countless times. The car was reliable, simple, and endlessly interesting.
Some of my favorite milestones:
- Best tank average: 89.5 MPG
- Best segment average (~50 miles): 108 MPG across the flat desert of central Nevada
Owning the Insight sparked a deeper interest in hybrid technology. I started learning how the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system worked, and eventually began hacking, modifying, and experimenting with it. That curiosity led to projects designing new battery control systems, exploring custom displays, and finding ways to get even more efficiency and capability out of Honda’s engineering.
This car taught me more than any textbook could—about electronics, fabrication, and the satisfaction of breathing new life into an old machine. It’s where my journey into hybrid and EV systems really began, and it continues to inspire my projects today.