Regular rider here too. I forgot about the cadence sensor ebikes that you can basically ghost pedal to the engine cut-off. I'd still argue that it's more effort than twisting a throttle, but that's just me being pedantic. My ebike rides don't even trip the auto workout function on my watch.

I'd love the 32 km/h limit from NZ, you definitely feel the weight when you hit 26 km/h on a heavy bike with fairly wide gear spacing. Still, all it'll take is one accident taken out of context for the pitchforks to come out

You're allowed to go up to 6km/h using the motor but without pedal assistance, according to the Qld Transport website, which I assume means you can use a throttle here..

I'm a regular cyclist, both electric and non-electric, so I know exactly what you mean about the ease of cruising at those speeds. I've got a torque sensor ebike where you have to use your legs a bit, and forgot about how little effort is required on a cadence sensor ebike like I think the rental ebikes here use. I've been wanting to do a ride with my non-cycling partner, her on the ebike. That may educational, since she seems to be more the target audience for rental escooters and might have a different perspective, whereas we seem to be more experienced on 2 wheels

Would they? Riding bikes is taught quite early on in most kids lives, and the bigger wheels and more room for suspension makes me inclined to believe that there's less chance of being thrown off an ebike because of a shitty footpath or bad turn, at least for a basic commuter type bike. You've also got to be putting some effort in to get over 20km/h, ebike throttles are supposed to be limited to walking speed. I dont have firsthand experience with escooters, though, so theres a chance I may be missing something here.