How do you measure return on investment (ROI) for an electric bike?
It's only so expensive because you are going for the most expensive bicycle option on the market.  One could easily buy an $800 bicycle and spend $1000 on retrofitting a motor and battery and end up spending a lot less on the bike, or you could just ride the $800 bicycle without the motor, and save even more money.  You're spending as much on the bike as it cost you to buy a car, plus you are using Uber when not on the bike.  Most bicycle commuters will use public transit (bus or subway) when the weather doesn't permit riding. You aren't going to save much money when you spend $3500 on a bike and related accessories.