Hello, kbc. Welcome to the electric bike portion of the forum.
My first question is why not invest in an e-bike to last you more than just your temporary job? If you work from home then you still run errands from time to time, right?
Groceries, trips to the local fast food joints, the post office, the bank, etc. can all be done on your e-bike. Trust me, a well built e-bike will easily replace your automobile. You'll save on car payments, gas, insurance, maintenance costs...the list goes on and on.
My e-bike meets all your requirements and since building it I've rarely used my car. The last time I drove was last year!
Check out the Papamotor thread:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...onversion-kits There are a few Californians with the Papamotor kit. You can get in touch with them.
Oh, I have to warn you, a properly built e-bike will have you taking the long way to work.