Let's play a game. Something is missing, car runs fine...

 

Accessory belt.....i believe there is no accessory belt on the Sport Hybrid, because the AC compressor is electric.....
Or maybe its something else?

 

Correct, with an electric ac compressor and no alternator, there is no need for a belt.

Maybe it costs more to remove the pulley than to leave it there during production or it could be a NVH issue.

 

engine is internally balanced so I doubt there is a real need for it. Perhaps removing it would allow a gap for dust/debris to enter the block and require recasting the whole block, hence leaving it there.

If you want to free up power, you can remove it and install a light-weight one or remove it completely.

 

That pulley may be providing vibration damping, or noise reduction, or even heat shield/heat sink or cooling, you never know. I assume we are looking at the crank pulley. I wonder if its as heavy as the standard one? Anyone wants to go look at part numbers to see if it matches the PAWS version?