I like the idea of ebikes, but how do you keep them from getting stolen? Bike theft of more expensive bikes is a growing industry in many cities.

One thing to keep in mind with range is that it can vary a lot. Sometimes my trip home uses like 10-20% of the batter, other times it uses 50-60%. Some of that is an issue of how much I'm pedaling vs how much assistance, but I've gotten only 20% used on a trip home I made standing up and not pedalling at all because my back had gotten hurt (granted, I rolled through all the stop signs I could due to said back pain; how much you slow down and accelerate makes a big difference).

If throttles are allowed, they're nice for when you have an injury or solid fever and still need to get home. In the US, I think class 3 (28mph/45kph cap on assistance) aren't allowed throttles but class 2 (20mph/32kph cap on assistance) are allowed them.

A few tips:

• Folding ones are easier to carry and store. You may not need a car rack if you want to take it far away. Steel ones are sturdier, but heavier. Carbon fiber ones are lighter but more expensive.
• Look for something that has both torque and cadence sensors. It affects how quickly you get going when starting from standing still. Also when changing elevations, how quickly the motor kicks in.
• Step through vs. step over. Step through is easier to get on/off.
• Definitely invest in a shock-absorber seat. They're not that expensive online. Front shock absorbers are good too on rutted roads.
• Fat tire ones make a loud noise when riding over paved roads. But they handle better if you hit a patch of dirt or in rain.
• Mudguards on front and back are absolutely necessary in rain.
• Look for water rating on the battery. IP6x is good, but if you have a lot of rain, IP7x is better.
• Don't believe the range they cite. Rule of thumb is divide in half for a realistic range. And always leave 10-20%. You reallly don't want to run out of juice at the end of a long ride.
• If the charger is a USB-C PD one, it'll be easier to replace. Unfortunately, a lot of bike vendors use their own proprietary ones.
• Get one assembled, from a bike shop instead of online. You will definitely need service or tuning, and having competent, trustworthy people (ideally, within easy riding range) will save a lot of heart-ache.

I very much regret having fat tires on mine. Slightly wider than typical mountain bike would’ve been ideal for me probably. They add so much weight and rolling resistance, and I doubt I’ve ridden anywhere where they were a boon.

Two things:

1. Ebikes are heavy, like 30-40 KG. While foldable bikes are great just be aware you still need to carry a significant weight.
2. When they list max carrying capacity, check the fine print, I have found almost every time the max carrying capacity includes the weight of the bike. If it says 100kg carrying capacity that almost always means 100kg - 35kg bike weight = actual carrying capacity of 65kg.

Good luck. Have fun.

I commute only 9km daily, also often with an eBike. In Europe, the motor is only allowed to support: you have to pedal, no just pressing a button or turning a handle. The support is also limited to 25 km/h. You can of course go faster, but not with help from the motor. Saying so this, the one-way takes me pretty much exactly 20 minutes. I charge the bike daily (500wh battery I think), but can probably do 2 days if I start fully charged and fine mind running it fully down to sub 10%. Wish it's 3 years old now.

This is using a normal sized ebike. Foldability is sometimes a serious damper for comfort or range (or both), but doesn't have to be. What in trying to say: Be sure to try it out first, if it can do that distance 2x on a charge, or if you need to bring the charger (probably). Cash you ride that comfortably enough that you can sit on it for 45+ minutes? These kinds of questions...

Okay, if you want something foldable then you have to sacrifice some other things along the way. First and foremost would be the battery capacity. If you have a foldable bike then in all logic it should reduce your maximum battery capacity.

Since you're heavy, it means your maximum distance would also be reduced. In that way, 30+ km is possible, but it also means each and every transit would cost a full battery cycle.

Now, for the rest : any mountain bike that can fit 2.40 or 2.60" tyres should do the job. Don't go for fat bikes, except if your endgoal is to cycle on sand. They will also drain your battery much faster.

Considering these, either you get an electric mountainbike that will easily handle everything except the portability (I have a Cube eBike and can go up to 90+km on eco settings with 700m+ elevation difference. However, that number goes down if I go on higher electric assistance, but can easily put 45+ km on level 2 or 3. I, too, am very heavy.) Or you get everything else, but you might have a lower battery life. That means you will have to chose the eco mode and pedal harder. On the bright side it means you will lose fat faster !

If you need a lot of climbing, you want either a robust direct-drive hub, or a mid-drive. The heat in hubs that accumulates during climbing can heat up, weaken the gear set and cause it to fail under load. Max rider weight is probably the most difficult to optimize variable. Most bike specs I've seen top out at 120kg.

Your requirements don't seem that crazy, I think you have a good chance of finding something! I'd say maybe check Upway (if they deliver to your area) for slightly used ebikes? I've ordered from them once and their prices are extremely good. Also maybe see if the foldable criteria is really something you want? That form factor usually means that you'll have a derailleur instead of a hub gear, a front or back wheel motor instead of a mid-drive and the battery life usually isn't great on those either since they need to be reasonably light (well.. like 18-25kg is considered reasonable). If you went for a regular sized bike you'd have a lot more options and way better specs at like half the price. Bike theft insurance is surprisingly cheap (I pay like 20€ a year to insure my 1k€ bike) so maybe just parking on the street could be fine?

At a glance, your requirements seem pretty achievable but I want to ask:

What kind of terrain is your commute? Good roads? Bad roads? Nothing offroad? Most e-bikes can handle either but the type of tire you go with in the long run may be important.

Absent this info, I think the Ride1up Portola (this is usually my daily driver, unless I'm using a bicycle). If you pedal a lot, the stock battery will probably work, alternately you could get the extended range battery. The only major change I might suggest is swapping to smoother tires if you ride exclusively on roads in good repair (Super Moto X or Urban Contacts would both be good choices).

If you are feeling spendier, a mid drive bike will certainly be better at climbing, however, I've found the hub drive on my Portola to be adequate enough to climb even steeper hills at 15+mph as long as I pedal too (throttle probably works too, but I pretty much always pedal).

One other thing you might want to consider is handlebar height? I have an Aventon bike which is great in most respects except I wish the handlebars were higher and I could sit in a more upright position. I'm a commuter. I don't need to be all streamlined or whatever. Next time I buy a new bike, I think I will prioritize comfort more over other specs.

I like my Ride1up Portola and it should fit your requirements but they aren't in every market. Get something decent from your LBS so you can get local support if something goes wrong.

What's the total elevation climb over your ride? Regeneration isn't equivalent to energy spent.