Both of you are right about the lack of E-Bike shops in many areas. It's why I opened an e-Bike only shop here in Chicago metro area back in 2015, as unbelievably there were no other e-bike shops within 100 miles, and amazingly even the few regular bike shops who carried them, only typically had a couple on the floor at any given time. Even a major multi-location bike store in Chicago, who showed many e-bikes on a web-site would only have a handful at a couple locations, and none at some. You have to have more than a couple dozen at least for people to ride, try out, compare and contrast. I now get customers from as far north as Madison WI, to as far east as Grand Rapids MI, and as far south as St. Louis. St. Louis is a 4.5 hour drive. Trek stores nearby refuse to even carry e-bikes, despite them having two decent e-bike brands to choose from, the Electra and then Trek brand itself. From what I hear its a combination of capital risk, capital amount per ebike, terms, investment in training, and their perceptions that e-bikes don't yet represent enough consistent business to generate the inventory turns you need to remain successful and solvent. Trek stores too, are often not positioned well as many other bike stores aren't to handle e-bike test rides (busy parking lots in strip centers), their rents are super high being in high traffic areas, and their space is limited and often at a high premium. So effectively, they'd have to relocate, or decide which models of regular bikes to eliminate, and since they have been positioning for years with models they know sell well, and what the turn rates are, it is a huge risk to upset that experience. This is going to be true for more than just Trek shops, so the regular bike shop owner deciding to adopt e-bikes, is making a huge investment. Here in the midwest, we are hurt by short warm seasons too, complicating the decision to make investment. Lastly, many regular bike shops are hanging by a thread still, and the industry shake out (started in the 90's) remains on-going, with reports on Bike Retailing showing declines in every category this year (remember this is supposedly a 'robust' economy compared to 07, 08), except e-bikes. PS. None of the Trek bikes have throttles, and per a Trek rep I spoke with recently, likely never will. 'Conservative' and safety conscious brand I suppose.
