Integrated Motor Assist (commonly abbreviated as IMA ) is Honda 's hybrid car technology, introduced in 1999 on the Insight . It is a specific implementation of a parallel hybrid . It uses an electric motor mounted between the internal combustion engine and transmission to act as a starter motor , engine balancer, and assist traction motor . Overview Regenerative braking Starting Other names ISG : I ntegrated S tarter G enerator ISA : I ntegrated S tarter A lternator ISAD : I ntegrated S tarter A lternator D amper CAS : C ombined A lternator S tarter CSA : C rankshaft S tarter A lternator or C ombined S tarter A lternator CISG : C rank-mounted I ntegrated S tarter G enerator In its first generation, IMA could not power the car on electric...