I don't (have never) ridden an e-bike but in terms of "get me up steep hills?" I thought e-bike motors provide an assist. So isn't the question more how much help would I get from <x> Nm up steep hills.
ie a 50 Nm motor won't get you up a steep hill, you'll need to put some muscle in as well and that's more of a "how long is a piece of string" as a 25 year old processional cyclist will give a very different answer from a 92 year old couch potato.
Or have I misunderstood e-bikes?
I reckon with mid drive, 50nm will get you up any hill without pedalling. You just need to adapt the bike to have correct ultra low gear ratio.
Or should I be saying 'ultra slow gear ratio' ?
For hub drives each 10Nm should be worth another 3% off the perceived gradient, although they'll only manage that in the lowest third of their speed range and not for long. Often the best way to avoid overheating is to pedal as hard as you can sustain and add high assistance to get it over with quickly. 50Nm is nearing tops for a quality hub drive bike in the UK.
Cheap bikes tend to quote maximum specs for components but don't always achieve that when they're combined.
Yup, I view the hills as 'interval training'. I am convinced that there is a speed/incline point where the assist becomes near zero so g.f.i. is the correct action for motor efficiency.
Don't have an e-bike but there is a point where pedalling efficiency is where you need a decent cadence to ensure you can get up, and it's the same with keeping the motor on assist. I can't imagine grinding up out of the saddle is efficient to keep the motor on a decent assist level, being able to pedal and put in enough pressure for the assist to help is where it's needed. OP, how steep are the hills you want to get up ?
Hire one for the Rusty Bike café and take a ride to Osmotherly. That hill out of Swainby will tell you all you need to know. https://www.yorkshirebikehire.co.uk/
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