Why do some e-bikes feel underpowered on hills despite good specs?

[Justin]

I’ve seen bikes advertised with decent motor output, however, when you try to ride them steep climbs, they don't perform well. Rider weight and battery level might be the reason, and I alao bekieve real-world torque is always different from marketing numbers. How does your ebike handle hills?

 

[Shortie]

This is a good question. I feel this is just the case with e-bikes. They only have a certain amount of power, so when it comes to riding up hills, you are going to find that you will struggle, no matter if you have high specs.

Think about a car that has an engine, and you can still struggle with hills, even with a car that has a strong engine.