Tastes differ, I prefer the compact all-in-one assembly, more waterproof. In fact when I had a Panasonic equipped e-bike and an unpowered Trek road bike the length difference was only 1.3 inches. Much of the extra length moaned about can be imaginary from visual impressions, since the bike designers often change the down tube and seat tube angles and displace other frame elements to compensate for the battery inclusion.
'tis nice looking, but I'm reserving judgment until I know how gearing up the pedal effort 1 to 2 or more affects the cycling efficiency. It also limits the chainwheel options.
