Tesla took the terms "self-driving" and "autopilot" down from its Chinese-language website after a driver in China crashed while driving with the autopilot on.

The company told The Washington Postthat the change was actually a mistake and it plans to add the word "autopilot" back and also include the term "automatic-assist driving." Mashablereached out to Tesla for comment and clarification regarding the terms.

SEE ALSO:Tesla's Autopilot couldn't stand up to these hackers

The Tesla driver, who was using autopilot on a Beijing highway, smacked into a car parked haphazardly on the left side of the road in early August. Tesla's autopilot functionality is designed to keep vehicles from crashing. It is also built to make sure cars stay the same speed and within the same lane.

No one was injured in the crash, though a similar accident in Florida left a man dead after his Tesla -- with the autopilot on -- crashed into a turning tractor trailer at 65 miles an hour.

Mashable Light SpeedWant more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories?Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter.By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Thanks for signing up!

A Tesla spokesperson told Reuters the company has "been in the process of addressing any discrepancies across languages for many weeks," and that "timing had nothing to do with current events or articles."

The company also asks that drivers keep both hands on the wheel when autopilot is on. The driver in Beijing, the company said, did not have both hands on the wheel.

Despite what the specifics of the crash might reveal, the incident is likely only to add to the controversy over the "autopilot" label for Tesla's cars.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments.

TopicsTeslaCars