Hydraulic brakes vs. Mechanical brakes

The short answer is YES! Nevertheless, we can still go over why they are better brakes for e-bikes.

Difference in Systems

Hydraulic Systems

Hydraulic brakes are a sealed system that utilizes brake fluid to transfer force to the brake pads. Unlike a car, bicycles use mineral oil as brake fluid. When a brake line is filled properly without any air bubbles, the pressure from depressing the brake lever immediately forces the fluid to the caliper end of the system; activating the brakes. 

Mechanical Systems

Mechanical brakes facilitate stopping power by pulling on a cable to transfer force to the brake pads. Travel distance of the cable paired with the number of bends in the cable housing determine the reaction time of mechanical brakes. Unlike with properly filled hydraulic systems, mechanical systems have a reduced response time due to the cable having to move further to acheive the same level of power. Mechanical systems are also prone to more rapid wear caused by cable stretching.

Superior Braking Power

Increased braking power equals shorter braking distance. This is especially important with electric bikes, as they weigh significantly more due to all of the electrical components and are capable of traveling much faster than acoustic bikes. Hydraulic brakes offer less for on the brake levers to activate full braking power, reducing hand fatigue.

Less Wear to the Bike

Since rim brakes utilize the rim of the wheel to slow the bike down, wear is being applied. All rim brake wheels come in notches that indicate when the brake track is worn to the point of replacing the entire wheel. Disc brakes go through wear just as any other brake but the replacement parts are signficantly less expensive. Rim brakes also limit the size of tire that you can use, as wider tires are not able to fit between the brake calipers. 

Hydraulic disc brakes are not as easy to service, but once they are installed they don't need frequent maintenance. All disc brakes contain pistons that need to be adjusted when installing the brakes, but hydraulic brake pistons have the added benefit of self-adjusting, which means that you won't need them to be re-aligned with your rotor as often as you would with mechanical disc brakes.