3 and one-half years, 12,000 miles, daily use, only vehicle, Zero problems other than the one late night where for some reason the bike refused to go thru the door sideways. i chose my motor because mileage reports like this for my model are fairly common. Other models in the same class, not so much.
Meets my needs perfectly, because I designed it for the purpose. Started with a Specialized Crossroads, added a front MXUS xf07 and an Ezee 36 Volt 15 amp battery. Got the speed I wanted, ease of maintenance, range, pedalability, quality, weight, load carrying, and comfort, all matched to what I wanted, in a quality product for about $1200. LBS will handle all the bike parts, all standard and easily replaceable, motor will work with many types and brands of replacement battery, battery will work with any motor, no high-dollar low-production parts, no proprietary BS, not locked in to any company. Make sure you check battery and motor replacement costs for a turn-key unit. No friggin way am I paying those prices.
Your Trek is a good starting point, the motor choice gets a bit tricky. Mid-drive is best for hills, IF you just can't pedal that much, BUT they require very much more frequent replacement of chains, gearsets, and chainrings as they are putting much more power through those components than they are designed for.
The ultimate in reliability is a Direct Drive hub motor, heavy, drag when coasting, but no moving parts and virtually bulletproof. Geared hub is next, followed by mid drive. Hubs will climb hills just fine, but you have to balance max speed versus hill climbing, less of one, more of the other. If you can add more hill climb power when needed, then you can go for a faster motor, otherwise you need a slower one that can climb the hill all on its own.
Battery choice is just speed and range versus weight and cost, with some quality factors thrown in.
You choose what you want rather than trying to find someone else's choice that comes close.
Cold weather you need to insulate your battery, do not allow it to freeze, also be aware that a battery fully charged when warm can become dangerously overcharged if allowed to become very cold, which reduces total capacity. Charge inside, take outside and ride right away, if you instead let sit for several hours in the cold, might be a pile of ashes when you come back out.
Picking the right vendor is an issue, but it might help if you could talk to somebody who spent several years researching who is good, who is cheap, who just plain sucks, and who is honest and reliable, according to not just a few but many dozens of real user reports spread over several years.
I am not mechanically inclined AT ALL and the conversion was easy. DIY mid-mount is significantly more complex than hub drive, requires a roughly $30 tool, but not that hard.
Also, greetings from a former Buckeye transplanted to the Sunshine state.
