I think this is more a recognition that autonomous vehicle technology is going to take a decade or more to provide driverless rides at a national scale,” said Phil Koopman, a

The move comes just months after Cruise announced it would restart testing operations in Houston after a staffing shakeup followed the launch of several federal safety investigations into the vehicles.

It was reported Cruise admitted to lying to federal investigators about the event. The news came after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration hit Cruise with a $1.5 million fine.