Will all e-bikes be front hub motor in future?

[flecc]

E-bikes with crank drives fit this model as they are designed so that the rider quickly reaches a pedaling cadence that allows for maximum power output from the motor, and encourages the rider to maintain that cadence to continue getting the maximum amount of assistance. I have had several years riding experience in this mode, and frankly have the feeling that the rider is sometimes serving the motor (and controller) as much as the motor is serving the rider.

Although true, this is mainly due to Japanese law and it's ill effect on the design of their bikes. It's not true of the Taiwanese Cyclone system for example, which has it's motor throttle controlled like a hub motor.

I think the hub motor systems really fit the bicycle paradigm better, as the power source is separated from the drive train and gearing. Hub motors are more like having an invisible helper - remember feeling really great and then realizing you were cycling with a tailwind?

The flaw in this is the drag that almost all internally geared designs have on the overrun, as in pedalling without power. Only Tongxin with their Nano motor have overcome this with true free running and light weight. All the others have the cycling experience spoilt to some extent.

In the end what matters is whether the bike is fun to ride or not. No machine or test bench can provide these results"

Completely agreed, the personal experience is paramount.

As for front vs rear hub motors, I think the front motor is just a better fit for most bicycle frames as it allows a rear battery and better weight balance.

Weight balance on two wheelers is very unlike that on cars etc, and front/rear balance is not necessarily important. The bicycle and rider combination generally has a huge rearward weight bias anyway. I prefer a rear weight bias and converted my my front hub motor bike to rear motor to improve it's handling and comfort. Likewise a low centre of gravity far from being important in two wheelers is often undesirable.

I think the bicycle paradigm is perhaps better for the person who used to do more riding in the past, and is now either older, less fit, or has a longer or more difficult commute. In this situation, the bike just makes up for the rider’s shortfall, making the them feel younger, stronger or fitter, while still giving them a true bicycling experience.

Yes, I fully agree with this, there's a clear separation from the "moped replacement" market many designs occupy.

Of course, it always depend on how steep the hills 'really' are...

And this is the crunch, legal hub motors performing increasingly poorly on inclines over 10%, especially with heavy riders. Then the crank drive can become the only sensible option.

My conclusion is that a crank drive adding to the rider effort and designed with the cyclist in mind could still be the best option for an optimum cycling experience, but so far it doesn't exist.
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