Wow.
I simply don't understand why all these corporations keep insisting on building 500W-range bicycles for $3000-$6000, when it is pretty easy to convert a conventional bike to 900W-1000W electric with parts bought on Ebay for around $500 to maybe $600.
Looks nice, but I'll pass. Thanks anyway.

@Anne Ominous Completely agree. Secondly i refuse to spend that kind of money on a bike that has no form of suspension of any kind.

This thing manages to cost as much as a Segway even without all the complexity. I read that Obama wants to increase the Energy Departments vehicle research budget by 75%.
I agree with Anne Ominous. I'm kind of surprised there are not many inexpensive electric-assist bicycles on the market yet.
I think you could remove a lot of the complexity of the design just by mounting another sprocket to the left side of the rear wheel and connecting that one to the electric motor.

Completely agree with AO and cousin Ryan. The power-assisted bicycle that would conquer the world would have a spec sheet like this:
Top speed = 25 mph / 40 kph (not sure, but I think this precludes the necessity for vehicle registration);
Range = 45 mi/72 km (for people who can't plug the bike in for a 10 hour workday).
Cost = 2,000 USD
For goodness' sake, after all is said and done, it is still a glorified bicycle.

Why not buy a scooter? This hybrid bicycle thing is retarded. Get rid of the pedals and chains and just give me an electric scooter.

I agree, it's dumb. If you don't want to pedal just get a scooter, there are plenty available (and cost less). I want to pedal, if I need a brake I coast. I also enjoy the freedom and reliance from noise and another source of energy.

Quite a few bad assumptions here.
Ryan MacDougall, They do have options to add a suspension fork and suspension seatpost. Meanwhile, the bike has Schwalbe Big Ben tires as standard equipment. Big Bens are some of the fattest, tallest 26" tires available, designed for Balloonbike applications, so they absorb shock without needing heavy, maintenance-intensive suspension forks. I run equally fat Schwalbe Big Apple tires on my bikes. Lots of people swear by them. Schwalbe tires are also very puncture resistant, and the high volume and low pressure mean you don't have to top off the tires as often.
Daichi, There's no room to mount a sprocket on the left side. That's where the disc brake goes. And if you even tried that scheme, you'd have to find some place to mount the motor. The fact is that BMC hub motors are pretty well-regarded among e-bike enthusiasts.
Mac McDougal, The US limit is 20mph. The EU limit is only 15. Any faster and these bikes couldn't legally be sold.
Matthew Harden, Why not buy a scooter? Because anybody who's interested in this probably doesn't want the hassles of insurance, registration, inspection, licensing, etc. E-bikes don't need any of that in many states. Scooters need all of it in every state. Scooter insurance alone can cost several hundred dollars a year, assuming you can find a company willing to insure you, which is not a sure thing in the US. The big insurers only want to cover mass-produced vehicles, both two-wheel and four-wheel.
Gregory Gannotti, With this, you have to pedal. That's in line with EU regulations that don't allow a separate throttle. You stop pedaling and the motor cuts out. The motor multiplies your power output based on how much force you're putting into the crank at any given instant. E-bike riders don't want to stop pedaling. They just want some assistance so they can travel longer and faster and don't arrive at their destination completely soaked in sweat and barely able to walk.
That said, I do agree this one is terribly overpriced.

so the bike i would ride on the road because it has better gearing, the tires are too fat and it would be illegal without registering, and you do not mention how heavy the $4000 bike would be to pedal. how about a street version meant to be registered? bicyclists would be interested in power assist for long distances if the roads were safer.

Yet another bad assumption. You assume motor vehicle departments would even be willing to register such super e-bikes. And before you can register, you have to have insurance. Again, Geico, Progressive and other insurers won't touch obscure vehicles from little companies.

Kansas law says: 8-1592b. Electric-assisted bicycles; traffic law application; no registration or driver's license required. Vehicle registration and driver's license shall not be required for operation of an electric-assisted bicycle. Traffic regulations applicable to bicycles shall apply to electric-assisted bicycles, except tricycles with no brake horsepower.
The 30 mph Platinum bike does not have a throttle, only a torque assist. I have routinely commuted 16 miles each way; imagine being able to commute 30 miles in little over an hour!
Bernhard, Wichita, KS