Originally Posted by
veganbikes
ebikes are just bikes that will give you some assistance while you are pedaling and only while pedaling. You might be confusing them with e-mopeds which may have pedals but also use a throttle to move you forward and are probably what your issue is as it is many people's issue but they sometimes accidentally get lumped in with actual e-bikes.
I don't disagree with your terms (pedal-assist w/o throttle = ebike; bike with throttle = e-moped). However, where I live and I think almost everwhere, the ebikes and emopeds that look alike (i.e. an emoped with pedals and a throttle) are lumped together in many regulations and also if they are differentiated, are not enforced as such. EMopeds are a menace, imho, but unfortunately are something that will continue to be a problem.
It's easy enough to recognize the ones that have huge tires and a frame that has little in common with a bicycle. It is impossible without inspection to recognize the ones that actually look like an ebike but have a little discrete throttle. Neither is effectively regulated as a motorcycle,