If that sort of thing is a big deal to you, then an electric makes sense, certainly. I bought a bicycle last year, counting on the fact that my commute could mostly consist of a single, long bike path, and quickly discovered that these things didn't matter as much as I expected them to, but to each his own. If you do get an electric, though, I'd suggest you try doing it with the pedals once in a while -- it's actually fairly enjoyable.