Why can’t both be done? Bicycles are already cheap, and an electric bike can be purchased under $1000. Not everyone is capable of limiting their commute to the ~10 mile radius an e-bike easily permits. Some of us still need cars, unfortunately. Sometimes the weather is bad, or we have things to haul around, or multiple people to move.

Is there some technology that enables high-speed travel and weighs less than a human, which seems to be an important criteria to you?

In Japan electric bikes were relatively cheap as you say but in Canada, a bike to carry my family costs more than 5-6k, closer to 10k.

I can't even import those electric mama charis because of unwarranted concern about batteries.

Hard to support bike infrastructure when safetyism means bike routes are only for singles and the rich.