I've been experimenting with 'B' mode while commuting. While stopped at a light, the ICE never shuts down. Is that normal? It seems like it should, regardless of the drive mode. The ICE was fully warmed up (190 F). I believe the battery was fully charged, as well. It tends to stay charged while in B mode. If I switch from Drive to B while stopped at a light, the ICE stays off until the car starts moving. But if it was in B mode already, it never shuts down when the car is stopped.
B mode, which is required by Federal law, is only useful when descending large mountain passes. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2011-title49-vol6/pdf/CFR-2011-title49-vol6-sec571-102.pdf (As implemented by Toyota, there is no maximum speed for B, it just gets lower MPG than D)
