Mercedes engineers get caught driving a new EQE SUV prototype, pretend to work at Tesla to avert suspicion ^↺

The German automaker Mercedes-Benz continues to work on the SUV variant of its all-electric E-Class, whose efficient sedan version is already available in the form of the regular EQE that for example competes against the successful Tesla Model S. Therefore, it is not uncommon that EV fans or professional photographers sometimes spot an according prototype during a test drive on public roads. However, a recent sighting on a beach at the US West Coast can undoubtedly be called “peculiar”.

According to a report by CarBuzz, two engineers were extensively testing the Mercedes EQE SUV when the prototype got stuck in the sand at the Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area about half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco. When a couple of helpful beach visitors offered to pull the camouflaged electric SUV out of the sand, the two test drivers of the Mercedes EQE SUV supposedly tried to deflect the attention from their embarrassing mishap with a rather hilarious remark.

The engineers, who are obviously involved in the development of the Mercedes EQE SUV, declined the offer and jokingly claimed that they work for the American EV manufacturer Tesla and that they had already called Tesla CEO Elon Musk to make him aware of the situation. However, the self-proclaimed Tesla employees purportedly ran out of clever answers when a bystander asked why they were wearing shirts with the world-famous Mercedes logo printed on them. According to the source article, the Mercedes EQE SUV eventually managed to get out of its predicament under its own power, but the automaker could make a few adjustments to the electric SUV’s all-wheel-drive system before the official launch.

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