General Motors is planning to lead the self-driving race

General Motors has acquired a small software company that’s been testing autonomous vehicles on the streets of San Francisco.

The Detroit automaker says it purchased Cruise Automation in an effort to speed up development of self-driving vehicles.  The 40-person firm was founded just three years ago. The purchase price wasn’t disclosed.

The acquisition, coupled with GM’s in-house research, should help the company in its race with Google and others to have autonomous cars start transporting people on public roadways.

GM wouldn’t give a timetable for putting the technology on roads. President Dan Ammann says it will happen as soon as the company can demonstrate that the cars are ready.