1. More common driving scooter
+ in Thailand / Vietnam / Indonesia driving scooter is very common even for teenagers
+ easy to find (free) parking place and doesn't require so much space
+ they don't consume much fuel
+ still can have 2nd passenger
+ cheap, mass produced and easy available
+ easy to lock and more heavy so less likely to get stolen than bikes
+ have some (small) trunk space for storage (helmet, groceries, etc.)
+ in taiwan you have electric scooters that easy to swap batteries
+ you can still move forward in traffic jam
E-bicycles on the other hand:
- feel less safe when driving >20km/h (small wheels)
- doesn't have indicators, mirrors, lights out of the box
- feel like too fast for sidewalks and too slow for roads (unless have dedicated bicycle lanes)
- much more expensive, most cannot swap battery or replace it
- much less places to park
- easier to steal (and because they are more expensive they are better target)
- no space for groceries or storing helmet/gears
2. Shared taxi. Thailand has kind of public transport called Songthaew [0] (pickup car with 2 benches of seats) that you stop, pay small fee and it distribute people that go along the same direction. Similarly angkot in indonesia. With some modern app this could be probably even better optimized
3. Motorbike taxi - e.g. gojek in Indonesia, grab bike in Thailand
South East Asia is warm. I simply cannot feel safe driving a scooter with a few centimeters of winter ice on the roads. And I'd have to buy even more winter clothes: Wind chills are a thing. (I live in Norway. It snows, more so when you get inland)
And as far as e-bikes: They can have storage, quite a bit of it - just like a regular bike. You just have to get the right model or accessories. People use them with a trailer for their children, too, and there are at least a few around here that are used for goods. People locally use them all the time for groceries and stuff - you just go to the store more often. You can take the batteries inside to charge them: Of course you can swap them out most of the time. If you don't have places to park, that means your city doesn't have bike racks and other such things. A few places here have bike lockers that allow you to keep your bike out of the weather, too.