Finally borrowed a friend’s ebike to try the commute, he’s selling it for $800, it’s a Rad ebike which seem to dominate the trails. It uses the same bafang rear hub and battery kit that all the ebikes seem to use. It needs some wheel fairings and a rear rack to be useable but I’ll have to see how it works.
One other logistical snag: grabbing lunch. There’s no place within walking distance and the bike trail by work is up several flights of stairs.