They work well on loose surfaces such as sand and gravel, but excel in cities because they are incredibly stable, and cannot get jammed in tram tracks, (legacy) storm drains, or gaps between shifting slabs of concrete. They can also be run at incredibly low pressures.
They do have more resistance than normal tires, but not much more, and the difference is negligible for an ebike :)
Not a great angle, but this is my trusty commuter (and only bike....). This past fall I started commuting year round, and am loving it. I abused it a little over the winter with the snow and salt, but it now has a new drivetrain...
My first bike as someone who learned to ride one at 30. Have a bit of a love-hate relationship with it. On one hand, AWD absolutely rocks, on the other, the build quality is so-so. Thinking of switching to e-moto once I get my license.