For anyone who compares for themselves e-bikes, front hub, mid motor and rear hub, as I have done, may find as I did that the front hub simply does always not do a good job on certain, steep hills. Ones with a slippery surface, whether dust, mud or moisture, but, if you drive manly on the flat, and are maybe prepared to push on some steep hills, technically its the easiest one to repair punctures on! Some here could maybe do it blindfolded at night (when many punctures happen!)
I did not have any problems of balance, it rode well and gave a good battery range on the one I had to test from my neigbour!
Furthermore, front hubs doe not suffer from having to be pushed home if the chain or part of the chain drive breaks. Nor do they need to be pushed if the battery runs out of power!!
The problems of middle motors and their lack of long term reliability, possibly at least partly due to their being bought by amateurs that are not mechanically, electrically or electronically DIY minded, did go through my mind, but I have no valid proof of that!
The better DIYers apparently seem to keep them running longer reading om this Forum, but with how much effort, it is difficult to judge truthfully.
The well known, mid motor, "single point of failure", is very apparent in terms of wear and the need to carry a spare chain and tools for each and every ride. Not forgetting a light source that can be easily directed to the chain area, if biking at night!
Many mid motors have the battery forward of the rider, all the Bosch bikes I have myself seen, for example. And the rider's weight and motor weight, one above the other. This makes them too light at the rear IMHO.
It may be an explanation for a Lady rider, who kept coming off her bike in wet conditions that lives locally, even though she had good tyres, correctly inflated..... IMHO but she never was a slow rider from birth! Guessing only! But her husband could never ever keep up on his bike.....
But the Bosch offerings with electronic Data Bus (possibly the CanBus) connected parts - Battery, Controller, LCD and Motor - try to be modern, but all it does is, that it simply removes the possibility for a completely normal owner to use his own labour and to be able to buy and fit replacement parts.....
Bosch even stops most LBSs from buying parts too!!! SIMPLY AWFUL!!
The rear hub bike, which I have owned two of (still own one), which both were so well balanced, with the weight just where it should be, with battery hidden from view in the frame towards the handlebars, my weight keeping the rear hub's tyre tread firmly embedded on the road or track, allowing dramatically steep hills to be climbed still seated, at even my age of well over 73.
Furthermore, rear hubs doe not suffer from having to be pushed home if the chain or part of the chain drive breaks. Nor do they need to be pushed if the battery runs out of power as the likelihood of the chain breaking AND the battery being empty at one and the same time, are remote at best!!!
Such hills which would (and still do), have stressed any mid motor with plastic gears, heating both the motor and the plastic, with eventually disastrous results at some future point in time!
And at the same time, always stressing components in the chain area far more than Hubs.
In the above text, I am only comparing EU legal bikes only, no modified ones.
Have a great day all.
Andy