recommend a CHEAP (very) e-bike?

Posted by OrangeHitch@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 101 comments

I've never spent any time on this sub and don't know anything about e-bikes. But I need a recommendation.

I'm single & and live in the USA. The nearest city big enough for a WalMart is twenty miles away and I don't intend to use an e-bike to get there. My auto mechanic is five miles away and I need something that I can pull out of the back of my Subaru Outback when the car is being left overnight. I'd old, and although I'm healthy enough to walk home, I don't want to and it can be very hot in the Summer. I borrowed a 10 speed a couple of years ago and didn't get farther than a half mile before I was worn out. I'm not obese. I think it was a shitty and poorly maintained bike, but you can't take home a new bike for a day to see how it feels.

I'd like an e-bike that sells for $500 or less. It should be able to go at least 30 miles (real world) on a charge. I don't expect to use it more than two or three times a year. I don't care how it looks, it just needs to fit in my wagon. I don't think it needs to be foldable to fit. There's not a lot of traffic here, so it doesn't need to have top-flight equipment.

Craigslist has a folding Fiido D3 Pro for $150 that needs a speedometer. It lists for $599 new. I think I can do without the speedo, but it probably displays other functions that I need. I'd prefer a new e-bike so I know the condition, but is a used $150 bike a better choice than a cheap new bike?

I've skimmed through some of the recommendation threads and it looks like you folks are used to paying $2000 or more for your stuff so those weren't helpful. Can ya help a fella out here?