Academic Credentials
  • M.E., Automotive Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 2004
  • B.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Nebraska, 1999
Additional Education & Training
  • Emissions Analytics – Portable Emissions Measurement System (PEMS) Training, 2021
  • kVA and SGS-TÜV Saar – Automotive Function Safety Professional (AFSP) Certification (ISO 26262), 2019
  • SAE International – Powertrain Selection for Fuel Economy and Acceleration Performance and Turbocharging for Fuel Economy and Emissions, 2009
  • Bosch VP44 Diesel Fuel Injection System Training, 2006
  • Six Sigma Green Belt Training, 2005
  • Shainin® Red X Problem Solving Training, 2003
  • General Motors Advanced Driver Training, 2001
Professional Honors
  • Recipient of the U.S. DOT Secretary's Gold Medal Award (DOT's highest award), 2008
Professional Affiliations
  • SAE International

Mr. Harrington brings a unique perspective to his clients having worked in the automotive and emerging transportation technology industries and the federal government. He specializes in the analysis of complex technical and policy issues related to the development, testing, failure analysis, and deployment of emerging technologies, including automated vehicles (AVs), advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), electric vehicles, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communications, and fuel economy and emissions related technologies, while fostering collaboration between industry executives, senior government officials, and engineers.

During his decades of industry and federal government experience, Mr. Harrington has developed and assessed automated vehicle safety cases and safety management systems (SMSs). He has developed ADAS test procedures and conducted testing on a wide variety of ADAS technologies, on numerous vehicle platforms, to assess their performance and nuisance alert rates under diverse operating conditions. Mr. Harrington has analyzed and developed federal regulations, policies, and standards related to fuel economy and emissions rulemakings and motor vehicle safety standards. He has also analyzed failure data and conducted root cause analyses for gasoline and diesel engines and automotive components; supported defect and recall investigations, developed prototype electric power steering (EPS) systems; performed noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) investigations and customer acceptance evaluations; led fuel economy studies; conducted fuel efficient driver training; and assessed hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) driving range.

As the Vice President of Safety at Motional, Mr. Harrington led a team of safety professionals focused on the development, implementation, and oversight of Motional' s AV product, operational, and organizational safety program. He and his team were responsible for developing Motional's safety case and SMS; conducting functional safety, Safety of the Intended Functionality (SOTIF), and industry best practice assessments; analyzing test results and data; and leading safety investigations.

During his time at the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Mr. Harrington served as the Chief of the Technology Innovation and Policy Division at the Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe Center). He led a cross-functional team of scientists, engineers, and analysts focused on emerging transportation technologies including automated vehicles, connected vehicles, connected/smart cities, and big data. Mr. Harrington and his team assessed alternative policy approaches to overcome technical and policy barriers impacting the deployment of advanced transportation technologies at the local, regional, and national level. He and his team also conducted a scan of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to identify potential conflicts with the certification of automated vehicles; reviewed comments submitted in response to the Federal Automated Vehicles Policy (FAVP); and supported automated vehicle research and safety regulation analyses for passenger cars, commercial motor vehicles (CMV), and transit vehicles. Mr. Harrington was invited to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy's (OSTP) Executive Leadership Retreat at Camp David to identify key priorities and challenges related to the deployment of automated vehicles.

In his prior work at the Volpe Center, as a Senior Engineer, Mr. Harrington led a team that performed engineering analyses and developed fuel-savings, cost, deployment rates and applicability assumptions for light-duty and heavy-duty vehicle technologies, which were incorporated into the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard setting compliance and effects modeling. He presented technology analyses at senior level briefings for the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the DOT, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the California Air Resources Board (CARB), and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). He represented the DOT and participated in executive level meetings with vehicle manufacturers; engine, transmission, and component suppliers; and industry trade associations. Mr. Harrington was personally congratulated and recognized by the President in the Oval Office for his technical contributions to the development of the model years 2017-2025 CAFE standards. Additionally in his role as a Senior Engineer, Mr. Harrington developed performance specifications, test track and on-road test procedures, and pass/fail criteria to assess the performance and nuisance alert rates of ADAS technologies. He also served as the U.S. DOT/NHTSA's test evaluator for the Integrated Vehicle-Based Safety Systems (IVBSS) crash avoidance program, which evaluated the independent and integrated performance of forward collision, lane departure, lane change/merge, and curve speed warnings.

As a Technical Support Manager at Cummins Inc., Mr. Harrington led Six Sigma fuel economy improvement projects, analyzed customer requirements, and proposed diesel engine/drivetrain changes to improve the fuel efficiency of long-haul trucks. He analyzed failure data and conducted field investigations to identify the root cause of diesel engine failures and brought resolution to customer product issues. In his role as a Vehicle Test Operations Manager at Environmental Testing Corporation, Mr. Harrington coordinated Federal Test Procedure (FTP) dynamometer emissions testing by interfacing with customer engineers and managing technicians. While working at Delphi Automotive Systems, as a Product Development Engineer, Mr. Harrington led the design and integration of prototype EPS systems into customer developmental vehicles. Using Shainin® Red X methodologies, he performed NVH identification and consumer acceptance evaluations of EPS systems at customer and Delphi facilities in Poland, Italy, and Germany.

Mr. Harrington's passion for motor vehicles and automotive engineering extends beyond his professional career. He is a volunteer design judge for the Formula Hybrid Competition, which is part of the SAE International Collegiate Design Series. Mr. Harrington continues to develop his vehicle dynamics knowledge and driving skills by competing in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and Porsche Club of America (PCA) autocross racing.