Nuanced I know, but it also bothers me that the term ‘ebike’ is applicable to both pedal assisted and throttle controlled bicycles.

As you point out, a kilowatt would do quite differently for a cargo bike than a commuter bike. More severe still is the difference between acceleration on a pedal assisted cargo and a commuter with the throttle wide open.

It’s startling how fast some of these bikes can achieve car like speeds.