Dogtrousers
Kilometre nibbler
What I'm trying to say, possibly badly, is that these e-bikes do not necessarily give the riders the hill climbing or acceleration performance of super-fit or super-human riders. For whatever reason I'm not sure, but the headline figure of say 500W motor output, does not remotely translate into what a pro cyclist with an 500w FTP could do. It's not a fair comparison.
This could be the source of my failure to understand why 500W could be needed.
I'll remain a bit sceptical. Especially considering my chagrin at my supposedly less fit friends climbing up the Grand Colombier on their 250W bikes when I had been planning and training for it for over a year.
But it doesn't really matter much to me. I avoid shared paths most of the time - and it's here that I foresee problems. And to me, on the road, ebikes are just another vehicle.