New to eBikes - where to start?

Hey everyone!

I'm totally new to the eBike world and feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the options out there. I'm specifically looking into folding eBikes because I live in a small apartment and need something I can easily store and potentially take on public transport or throw in the car for weekend trips. My commute isn't super long (maybe 5 miles each way), mostly flat city streets, but I'd love to explore some paved trails too. For those of you with folding eBikes, what are the absolute must-have features I should be looking for, and are there any common pitfalls for newbies like me to avoid? Any recommendations for reliable brands or models under, say, $1500-2000 would be amazing!