What about internal combustion motor assist? For a time a popular thing was to put a small motor on a bike. Matter of fact one came putting by here just before snow fall.

Designated primary power was still human pedaling. But, rarely did you see pedaling except up hills where both were needed.

Seems to me "e-assist" is just a marketing term to get small electric motorcycles into people's hands.

Me? I have no problem at all with them. After all one might be handy sometime in the future. But, let's call them what they are, electric/hybrid motorcycles. Then figure out how to let them safely operate.