General Motors Co. is planning to expand its workforce dedicated to developing self-driving car technology by as many as 1,100 people over the next five years, according to a documents the company filed to receive tax credits from the State of California.

In the filing, GM said it intends to invest $14 million in a new research and development facility in San Francisco that according to Reuters will more than double its existing space. In a statement to Axios, GM confirmed the details of the filing, saying it had made significant progress in developing safe and high-quality self-driving vehicle technology and, as a result, it expects to expand its team and test fleet.

The company, previously referred to as “Government Motors” after its reliance on federal funding to prevent bankruptcy during the height of the financial crisis of 2008, has come a long way since then. After the Obama administration divested itself of its shares in 2013, the company has become a leader in developing self-driving car technology space, rated by some as the second most advanced player.

GM acquired self-driving car tech firm Cruise Automation Inc. for a figure believed to be “north of $1 billion” in March 2016 to boost its push into autonomous vehicles. More recently, it announced that it was set to test its own self-driving cars on the streets of Warren and Detroit after the State of Michigan legalized its ability to do so.

While many companies talk about deploying self-driving vehicles, General Motors is already well on its way, having announced that its hybrid Chinese-built semiautonomous 2018 Cadillac Cruise CT-6 with “Super Cruise” will be available for sale starting in fall.

Photo: GM