Exactly, e-bikes are an odd tweener. They don't mix well on bike paths if you're bombing along at 20 mph, and in a lot of places people still just don't feel safe riding anything with two wheels on public roads.

I don't see a lot of people who aren't already comfortable cycling to work (though maybe preferring to get there faster and with less sweat), going out and buying an e-bike.

That was one of the issues with Segways as well. A lot of people (understandably) didn't want them on sidewalks. But they weren't really suited for roads either.

Likewise kick scooters. Fast and quiet enough to make pedestrians think "you are like a bike and I should treat you like one," but in fact far too slow for roads and unexpectedly agile on sidewalks.

Basically, all the vehicles that sit in the intermediate gradients of speed/acceleration are in a position for their simple existence to offend everyone else.

I don't think it is just about 'feeling' safe on public roads... it is just factually more dangerous than being in a car, regardless of how I feel.

E-bikes have become increasingly popular in the Netherlands, where they share the cycle paths just fine with conventional cyclists. (the mopeds and scooters that blast along the same paths recklessly are another story, however)

Yeah, the Netherlands is really a cyclists paradise. I can't believe that they screwed it up by allowing motorscooters on the bike paths!

e-bikes in the EU are limited to 17 mph, and quite low wattage, so it's not really an issue being in bike lanes, as long as you're decent about it. In the US a lot of them seem to be basically motorbikes.

The US limit is 20 mph. That's nothing like a gasoline scooter or motorcycle.