You probably don’t need it but it is helpful. The pedal-assist technology only kicks into gear when you are in a situation where you’re putting a lot of pressure onto your pedals (e.g., when you’re going up a hill or trying to get out of a snow pile). Having pedal assist on your snow bike might also make you more confident when it comes to traversing terrain you may have not tried to get through otherwise (e.g., slogging through a snowfield).