You raise a good point. I suppose I should clarify on what degree of inconspicuity I would like.

What I had in mind for a not-out-of-place ebike is one which does not have more numerous components than an acoustic bike, with the motor and controllers neatly tucked away and integrated into the design. That is, nothing which looks like it was bolted on after-the-fact. I've seen some models which integrate the removable battery into the thicker down tube. And hub drive motors are less noticeable than mid-drive motors, since the latter are betrayed by the characteristic bulge, whereas hub motors can hide behind disc brakes and sprockets.

Obviously, upon close inspection, a speedometer or throttle might give away the game quickly. As would someone with a keen eye for ebikes, no doubt. So perhaps the criteria is simply enough stealth that your average person at 20 paces would find it unremarkable.

I'm not sure how well I described that, or if I'm going in circles, but I hope this made at least some amount of sense.