yes it has helped a lot. i have the motor downtuned quite a bit, my "eco" mode is set to the EU standard for E bikes (250W max output and 25km/h speed) and even though my "sport" mode is completely uncapped, i rarely use beyond 400-500W even while carrying a passenger. talking to a few people who tore up their nexus hubs with motors helped me to dial in a good configuration to use. these hubs are tougher than people give them credit for, compared to a derailleur they are just divas. accidentally shifting while pedaling, starting off in too high of a gear, not having the adjustment set perfectly before riding, all of these can snap those little pins inside the hub. would i recommend it to anybody? probably not, but i am a careful rider and can get a used hub core for the same price as a fancy ebike chain.

the tongsheng is definitely a fun ride, and i am jealous of your e-bike hub. my cargo build was really a budget build as we had just moved to a new town and needed transportation. even though it works i do feel like i am playing with fire a bit.

the battery is in the crate, not the best for weight distribution but i didn't have many options due to how many Ah i needed and how curvy the frame is. it locks in place to a piece of din rail that's bolted to the front rack, and i built a little hinged compartment for extra rain protection + keeping it out of sight so it's less likely to get stolen when i'm somewhere like Amsterdam.

as for software, i have tweaked nearly all the settings on the bbs02 as out of the box it was very aggressive. i needed it to be a bit gentler when starting from a standstill to protect my delicate hub gears, but still with plenty of torque since it frequently carries 2 adults + cargo.

i am looking into programming the tsdz2 right now as i really don't like the stock configuration. i have already fallen off of it once because there is such a long delay from when you stop pedaling to when the motor stops putting out power, and with a coaster brake this means you can find yourself working against the motor. it can be very hard on the knees until you get used to the timing of everything. i planned on selling this bike but after riding it i am not so comfortable with giving it to a stranger until i fix the programming. if you use the regular version of the motor with hand brakes this obviously wouldn't be an issue.

my opinion, i think i prefer cadence sensing over torque sensing, even if this is unpopular. yes the tongsheng is more "natural" feeling but in practice that seems to mean that you have to work harder in order to get the motor to put out more power. more torque in = more torque out. i find it more difficult to maintain a comfortable pedaling cadence when commuting than with the bafang. maybe i just haven't gotten used to it yet, but if there was a bbs01/02 that worked with a coaster brake i would be using them on my builds instead. if you have a hobby for off road sporting then torque sensing might be better for climbing hills and loose terrain, but for a commuter or a utility vehicle on the road i find it unnecessary and a bit annoying.