I'm using a bodaboda to haul all my groceries & supplies. Sometimes 80 lb at a time, I weigh 160-170.
As I ride self-powered most of the time, I viewed the Bosch drive of 2017 as a positive liability. A boat anchor. I put a 1200 w 48 v front geared hub drive on my unpowered bike, which has been serving me two years. I really like it. I have had to tighten the motor covers twice in 4000 miles.
I installed a IGH on my previous bike, a Pacific MTB, and found it slowed me down about 15% compared to a 7 speed derailleur. A Sturmey Archer S80. The rohloff has even more gearsets whirring around all the time than the S80. The shift pawl selects the proper gearset, but all the other ones are spinning all the time. Which causes drag, IMHO.
Shimano mid drive does not drag when unpowered, should your biking adventures increase your strength and wind as mine have. The motor is for days when the wind is >12 mph in my face, which can increase my commute from 3.5 hours to 6 hours. I don't need 6 hours of exercise. 3.5 hours exercise twice a week has helped me drop 55 lb and 20 bpm off my resting heart rate. Also cloresterol down 50 points.
The shimano 9 speed rear on the 2020 electric bodaboda should offer about twice the chain wear of the 11 speed of the poster who found he was getting 500 miles on his electric MTB. Since the motor doesn't go through my chain, and it is 8 speed rear 3 speed front, I've got no chain wear on my bodaboda at 5000 miles. I find the SRAM shifters on the 2017 bodaboda delightfully precise, needing only one shift stop screw adjustment in the 5000 miles. The Shimano 9 speed yuba uses now on electric bodaboda should be a more precise product than the 7 speed kiddie quality shimano shifter rad uses on radwagon. I had the shimano 7 speed on the Pacific MTB, required fiddling with it 2 or 3 times a year.
BTW the quality of the bodaboda was delivered was superb. The shift and brake adjustments were correct out of the box. The finish was perfect. The 2nd box they put over the first box may help prevent shipping damage. Oh, BTW, I've never had to adjust the spokes on the bodaboda as rad suggested doing every month on the radwagon.
Downsides? I didn't like the bodaboda seat, I'm male. I put on one wider, with spring suspension. The seatpost and stem are non-standard diameter so you can't replace them with suspension seats, or different handlebars, for example. I replaced the easy-steal seat adjuster and front axle quill immediately, before I rode the bike. Even before I put the electric power wheel on it.
BTW, since I don't have to load squirmy children, there is no way I would consider a bike with 20" wheels. Our roads are full of potholes, slots where the berm doesn't meet the main lane anymore, gas valve holes where someone has stolen the covers. You haven't lived until you hit a pothole on 20" tires at 30 mph ( which I hit downhill sometimes). I find 26" x 2" tires entirely adequate. I ride Kenda knobbies, they don't get flats until the knobs are worn down to <3/32".
Have fun shopping, and later riding.
