FROM THE OP: The direction this thread has taken reminds me of why I resisted buying my wife an e-bike in the first place. There is suddenly so much more "techno-stress" in an activity that was once very pure. Now, every time we ride, I find myself stressing about whether her battery is going to last the whole trip, if she's going to get a rear-wheel flat that requires disconnecting and re-connecting all the power cables to get the wheel off, and how I'm going to store the bike over the winter so the battery doesn't explode.
And now, instead of looking forward to conversations about memorable routes and how to psych yourself up a hill, I find myself going out of my way to avoid conversations about wattage and voltage and laws and proper charging methods. I am thrilled that my wife likes her e-bike (although she is still terrified of it), but I agree with those who feel that e-bikes are casting a cloud over a sport/recreational activity/transportation mode that really didn't need to be messed with. I am saddened to watch young people zipping by on the bike path, thumbs fully engaging the throttle while holding a phone to their face in the other hand. I feel like they are missing out on the thrill and exhilaration of getting from Point A to point B on their own pedal power, and I resent that they seem to be looking down on me and my old-fashioned pedal bike as they leave me in the dust on trails I've been riding since before they were born.
However, to reiterate my original point, for certain people -- older folks and adults who did not grow up on bicycles and don't have the stamina, strength, or desire to sweat their way through even a two or three mile ride - I believe e-bikes have opened up a world they never would have had an opportunity to enjoy.