I have an e-bike that I use as a commuter. I absolutely love riding it. It really makes my commute enjoyable and easy. I'm always wondering what it is that keeps people from going the e-bike route - especially for commuting. I read an interesting article the other day about e-bikes and the growth in the Netherlands. E-bike sales accounted for 47 percent of the revenue from bike sales.
http://www.nltimes.nl/2015/10/21/dut...ke-sales-soar/
Is it the initial cost of an e-bike that makes bicycle commuters in North America shy away from an e-bike? If you could afford an e-bike as a commuter, would it be your first choice. Why.. or why not? The Dutch seem to be going the way of the e-bike. They seem to be the world leaders in using bicycles for transportation. I present these questions in the commuting forum because I believe that is the best use for an e-bike. I see a lot of threads in the forum about making a bike lighter for speed or better hill climbing. I see other threads that discuss how to carry a load, or reduce a load, for a commute. It seems that an e-bike solves these commute related problems and issues.
I would love to hear your thoughts.
Edit 10/30/2015: Thoughts have been expressed. It appears that an e-bike is not an ideal commuter. Don't waste your time reading through the thread.