Believe it or not, no peddling, but you have to have two batteries. Obviously, if you peddle some it may even increase the range. The key here is if you peddle, from a stop and then use the motor or you could do the opposite and use the motor to bring you up to speed. I like the trottle, it has settings for different types of riding. It is also a twist trottle, you do not want a thumb one if you want to keep your thumb. It did say peak power 400 or 450 watts. Charging looked easy. I am not sure what type of battery it was. For $400 it certainly wasn't lithium ion. On the trottle you could tell the state of discharge. The rear end with one battery didn't feel too heavy.
I converted a Breezer Uptown, to a Wilderness Energy 600 watt electric motor, twist trottle, controller, and battery. When it ran it ran great, but there were several problems with it. They battery pack I had, was too heavy for the rear wheel and I got more flat tires than I should have. When it was down, only the dealer could fix it. He was 70 miles away. Finally the magnets went in the motor and other problems, he couldn't get the parts, so I sold it back to him. However, I really enjoyed it, when it worked.
I am on a project down in Sarasota, Florida and there is a large Amish community and I see alot of people riding electric two and three wheel bicycles. The Amish won't ride in cars but I guess an electric bicycle is ok. Interesting