This seems like a bad take. Do most people really only ride on the throttle?

The main time I use the throttle is when coming to a stop, or when coming out of a stop (esp. at a road crossing). My bike doesn’t have a torque sensor, so pedal assist is going to kick on too late when stopped and it persists too long for stopping too. A microscopic twist of the throttle can be used to make the bike crawl, which is great for stopping exactly where needed or careful navigation.

Also if I come to a stop and forgot to downshift, it’s a lifesaver. Similarly, a couple of times I’ve used throttle to keep going home when my chain slipped off(+no gloves). Both of these only work due to having a hubmotor.

For context I have a 250w ebike, it doesn’t even exceed class 1 speeds (it has an EU speed limit and I ride in a relaxed position) normally. I ride for the workout mostly (usually in pedal assist 1), and lots of people on the trail (ebike and not) are passing me. The only other times I’ve used throttle were being near a noxious smell (factory farm) or a stretch of path in the blaring sun with no shade (I cannot really sweat, so a slow struggle is a recipe for heat stroke).

So yeah, the stigma against throttles is (mostly) stupid. I can’t even disable the throttle on my bike via display codes (and from what I’ve seen online, just unplugging the line is not the right way either*). I wouldn’t mind an alternate throttle that didn’t really give a huge burst of constant speed, but mine already doesn’t do that.

Also another thing about speed: it is less efficient (=lower range) so that is another reason many likely would prefer a throttle over a higher max speed.

*= IIRC it may cause the bike to not start for some reason