> Safer roads means more people will bike, which means biking will stop being seen as an elitist thing.

I don't think it is just safety. Most people understand an e-bike is going to be more dangerous, but they are popular anyways.

The other factor is distance. e-bikes increase the distance that can be covered by a significant amount, which changes a lot of commutes from "too far" to acceptable. The only people who can afford to be within a bike commute are at least above-average income-wise.

Even satire news sites have caught onto this: https://www.thebeaverton.com/2020/09/i-bike-everywhere-brags...