when will prices come down out of the stratosphere?

[Dewey]

...the majority would more likely...stick a $350 mid drive and battery kit from pswpower or aliexpress sellers on a Mongoose Envoy longtail.

The Mongoose Envoy is now available from Amazon US for $750, comes with two large panniers, this is now the most affordable longtail cargo pedal bike on sale in the US, Yuba Mundo Classic/upcoming Kombi retails for a grand.
Ron 'Spinning magnets' featured it earlier this year in an article discussing DIY kit conversion options

Amazon.com: Mongoose Envoy Cargo Bike with 26-Inch Wheels in Grey, Small/Medium Frame, with 8-Speeds, Shimano Drivetrain, Aluminum Cargo Frame, Internal Cable Routing, Mechanical Disc Brakes, and Center Kickstand: Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com: Mongoose Envoy Cargo Bike with 26-Inch Wheels in Grey, Small/Medium Frame, with 8-Speeds, Shimano Drivetrain, Aluminum Cargo Frame, Internal Cable Routing, Mechanical Disc Brakes, and Center Kickstand: Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

Mongoose Envoy, a new longtail cargobike

This isn’t an electric bike, but cargobikes are one of the best platforms for building an ebike. They have always been expensive, and this new contender is the most affordable one I’ve …

www.electricbike.com

 

[Deleted member 4210]

Prices are coming down via a lot of new offerings.
Aventon has some great prices with quality product and lots of value, and more exciting models coming. Other brands with some great prices and nice looking ebikes with plenty of power and features are Batch, Espin, Qualisports, and CIVI. The ebike market has changed dramatically in the past 18 months, despite the Trump tariffs. The competition is fierce, so expect for a continually changing number of players, and the weak falling away. Industry players have to be fast, fluid, and flexible and not get too enamored of any one design. Model refreshes, more content, new bells and whistles, better batteries, almost yearly will be required for every brand, especially those priced above $2000.

 

[Cowlitz]

now that my wife and I are retired we shed one of our two cars....the savings in gas, insurance and parts/repairs will pay for a pair of the priciest ebikes ...just tell them it was a gift

I like this. I grew up poor and although I'm OK now, I still think I'm poor and really feel guilty when I buy something that is spendy. I bought one of those e bikes that is in the lower, upper price category. I love it. I feel guilt though. Now I'm shopping for a new vehicle, and even though I can afford it, it is a very hard thing to do.

Today I plan to ride my ebike to a car dealer to look and maybe test drive a pickup. Ironically, my current pickup died and had to be towed on the way back from buying this ebike. The bike was in the back! So, it became an even spendier bike.

On a cheery note, a Safeway worker asked how much my beautiful bike cost. I answered that I didn't want to think about it. She said she was going to save up and get one someday.