Questions to ask yourself to narrow the search:
What kind of terrain will I be riding? Road or off-road? I think you answered that with forestry trails? So next question
How rough are the trails?
Is it hilly or flat or a mixture?
If hilly and occasionally rough, an EMTB with mid drive motor would seem logical (Electric Mountain Bike) As they are designed for this and are rugged and comfortable.
What distance will you ride mostly? If under 30 miles then any bog standard battery will probably be fine. At the lower end of the EMTB market 500wh would be good enough. More if you are planning to do all day rides for instance. Likewise the power of any decent emtb will be enough. Most have a torque of 75 to 90nm. More than enough.
Do I need a step through or would traditional mens triangle frame be ok? Less choice if step through, but they do exist. Some EMTBs have quite low top tubes as well. Good Q for local bike shop.
Is it dry or wet or mixed where you ride? Mudguards would be good if wet but can always be purchased afterwards, as in, don't let lack of fenders deter you from the bikes.
Budget under $3K. It's not a bad budget at all. especially now as the covid mad panic buying has gone the other way. It's a buyers market to some extent.
So without knowing the answers to these Qs it's tricky obviously for me to recommend a good fit, but my hunch would be a fairly standard emtb with mid drive motor. Most these days are what is called full suspension that is, front forks suspension and a rear wheel suspension. Comfy on rough ground but a bit more complicated to set up. A hard tail as the name suggests just has front suspension. These are also valid especially if you are only doing short rides that are not too rough. Plus are cheaper generally as good suspension costs $$$$
It's a question then of use, longer rides on hilly rough ground suit full suspension emtbs etc. But it can be personal choice/taste as well and depends also on your experience riding ordinary bikes - if you were a mountain biker then this an easy choice I'd say. If not, then definitely test ride (should anyway).
At under $3000 most of the main emtb bike brands that local shops should carry; Giant, Cannondale, Trek and Specialized should have what are called entry level emtbs at this price - I think - plus there are a LOT of discounted bikes on sale right now. Other reputable brands bike shops near you might carry are Cube, Orbea, Kona and Marin. All are well established and make good bikes.
Suggest with the answers to these questions next you put your detective hat on and head out to your local bike shops. See what brands they stock, how the shop staff feel, welcoming or not - plus no harm doing some online checking for customer reviews etc. And use this to narrow the choices down.
I'm less sure about direct to consumer bikes that you can order where you live. I'm not against them and they do have great deals. But it can be Wild West and you are on your own sometimes. The one that did come to mind because it's a US company, and lower budget and because I remember the great reviews this model got when it came out, is the Aventon Ramblas EMTB. Think it's under $3K and very well reviewed. Here's a link
I also like the Yamaha one recommended above and if you can get a bargain id say go for that. Yamaha ARE withdrawing their ebike sales from the US but Yamaha dealers will remain obviously selling motorbikes and outboard engines and what have you and they have said that all warranties for existing customers will be honoured. Plus Yamaha motors have a great reliability reputation and are (apparently) easily repaired. Giant also use Yamaha motors.
Finally a quick note on that - warranties - this is why people are suggesting you find a local dealer, ebike motors and batteries are expensive and they can fail. It's important to have a reputable brand who has a strong reputation for motor replacement under warranty. The ones I mentioned above all seem to have that. And I know first hand that Specialized are excellent. Usually if you develop a fault, you take the bike back to the bike shop you bought it at and they, on your behalf, contact the brand who (should) replace the part without quibble. If direct to consumer the same process (should) occur, but just check the reputation of the direct to consumer brand as there are a lot of new companies out there and it's easier to get burned plus you can't just nip into town and rant at the bike shop owner if there's a problem!
Good luck on the hunt! Over and Out.
