The file photo shows a Tesla vehicle which crashed in Beijing. [Photo: weibo.com]

Tesla says that one of its cars crashed in Beijing while in "autopilot" mode.

A driver named Luo Zhen says he engaged the autopilot function as he often did on Beijing's highways.

Luo's car hit a vehicle parked half off the road. The accident sheered off the parked vehicle's side mirror and scraped both cars. The driver has reportedly said sales staff over sold the "self-driving" function of the vehicle.

Tesla said it had reviewed data to confirm the car was in autopilot mode, a system that takes control of steering and braking in certain conditions.

The company, which is investigating the crash in Beijing last week, said it was the driver's responsibility to maintain control of the vehicle. In this case, it said, the driver's hands were not detected on the steering wheel.

The crash in China, comes months after a fatal accident in Florida, which raised pressure on auto industry executives and regulators to tighten rules on automated driving technology.