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

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.

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.