I think people think of bikes to be <$100 toys. If you compare it to what other spend on their hobby motorcycle and that this bike replaces a small car then it's not an unreasonable price. It is expensive, but worth it for many I guess.
In Germany there are far cheaper options, but they don't have all the bells and whistles.
I have some friends that are into cyclocross, 10K is a very nice bike but certainly not top of the line. High quality beginners is usually ~5K mark, but most start with a road or mountain bike for ~1K. With the electric components I was mentally budgeting at least 5K before I looked so I could get at least one or two upgrades.
I was not expecting all the e-cargo bikes to start at ~10K. That is insane. I can't even find a place that rents them so I can get a feel for them. As a car replacement the price makes sense. The high entry cost for beginners/testing is a shock.