Not to be pro or anti-ebike but a sorta funny story: I know the owner of the local (thriving) e-bike store, he once mentioned getting a medical-exemption certificate allowing him to use an e-bike on Nat'l Park Service bike paths (some of local paths under NPS jurisdiction). On the Mt Vernon path I saw him stopped with a mechanical issue & calling for a ride. So if an expert can run into problems...? A lot of e-bikes sold in the USA seem to come from rather obscure manufacturers, I'd worry about reliability esp since it could be tough to pedal uphill without the e-assist.