I specifically did not choose the word disingenuous. I asked him to be more ingenuous.

His assertion was "there is absolutely no way you are going to sustain 40 Kph+ for anything but a very short period". I disagree, and I think minimizing the capabilities of these machines in the rhetoric is counterproductive to converting skeptics.

In the US it's 100% legal to go 28MPH on them for as long as you can - which for me would be nearly forever on flat ground.

A side pedantry note, in the hopes that it's appreciated:

Usually "more ingenuous" would mean "more naive" or "more childlike" or "less capable of deceit", none of which seem to be what you intended.

Ah, I did not know of the naive/childlike connotation. I was simply using it as a synonym for something like candid, frank, truthful.

Thanks.

Depends on the jurisdiction. NYC only allows 25MPH: https://www1.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/bicyclists/ebikes.shtml

At some point, we do need to restrict faster vehicles from operating in the bike lanes and the sidewalks, because the speed differentials will probably end up killing someone.

They had this problem for years in Amsterdam and last time I've heard about it they decided to ban moped from bike lanes in the city. Electric moped were particularly problematic because of their speed, of their silence and weigh. I don't know what the rules are with regard to ebikes though.

The full sentence was: “ The problem is that s-pedelecs are technically lumped in with the scooters, even though there is no throttle and there is absolutely no way you are going to sustain 40 Kph+ for anything but a very short period.” He is explicitly talking about S-Pedelecs which are the fastest legal E-Bikes in most of Europe. He never said that you are generally not able to sustain 40+ MPH in general.

He said KPH. That is about 25MPH. Legal in the US is 28MPH.