Altairnano Appoints Andrew Burke, Ph.D. to Scientific Advisory Board; Recognized Expert Brings over 30 Years of Experience with Electric Vehicles.

RENO, Nev. -- Altair Nanotechnologies Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTI) today announced that Andrew F. Burke, Ph.D., has joined the company's Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Burke is on the Research Faculty at the Institute of Transportation Studies at the University of California, Davis.

"This is an opportune time to be joining Altairnano's Scientific Advisory Board," commented Dr. Burke. "I have been involved with the design, modeling, testing and analysis of electric and hybrid vehicles for over 30 years and, based on my experience, I believe that Altairnano's exciting new battery technology represents a significant step toward the goal of designing and producing mass-market electric vehicles."

Dr. Burke continued, "Altairnano's scientists have developed unique battery electrode materials that can be used to construct a high power, safe, environmentally friendly battery that is rechargeable in minutes. These lithium titanate batteries have the potential to solve one of the biggest technical challenges to the mass adoption of electric vehicles. That is how to recharge the battery, given appropriate power recharge station infrastructure, in about the same time it takes you to fill the gas tank in a conventional vehicle."

"Dr. Burke's appointment to our Scientific Advisory board brings substantial knowledge to enhance our battery program," said Altairnano President and CEO, Alan J. Gotcher, Ph.D. "His experience will help us in our efforts to deliver a viable battery platform for the electric vehicle market. Dr. Burke's experience with both battery technology and supercapacitors will bring an added dimension to our program."

About Andrew F. Burke, Ph. D.

Dr. Burke holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in Applied Mathematics from Carnegie Institute of Technology, a M.A. degree in Aerospace Engineering and a Ph.D. in Aerospace and Mechanical Sciences from Princeton University.

Since 1974, his career work has involved many aspects of electric and hybrid vehicle design, analysis, and testing. He was the head systems engineer on the U.S. Department of Energy-funded Hybrid Vehicle HTV project while working at the General Electric Research and Development Center in Schenectady, N.Y. While a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Union College in Schenectady, he continued his work on electric vehicle technology through consulting with the Argonne and Idaho National Engineering (INEL) Laboratories on various DOE electric vehicle and battery programs. Dr. Burke was employed from 1988-1994 at INEL as a principal program specialist in the electric and hybrid vehicle programs. His responsibilities at INEL included modeling and testing of batteries and electric vehicles and the technical management of the DOE ultracapacitor program. Dr. Burke has authored over 100 reports and papers on electric and hybrid vehicles, batteries, and ultracapacitors.

Dr. Burke joined the Research Faculty of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis in July 1994. He has performed research on and taught graduate courses on advanced electric driveline technologies specializing on batteries, ultracapacitors, fuel cells, and hybrid vehicle design, control and simulation.

About Altair Nanotechnologies Inc.

Altairnano is an innovator and supplier of advanced ceramic nanomaterials. With a skilled team of scientists in its 100,000 square foot facilities who, coupled in collaborative ventures with industry partners and leading academic centers, have developed a unique portfolio of intellectual property and novel products. These researchers are complemented by a seasoned management team with substantial experience in commercializing innovative, disruptive technologies.

Altairnano focuses on nanotechnology applications to enable new potentially high-growth markets. In alternative energy, Altairnano is pioneering new battery materials and systems. The company is applying nanotechnology to the development of drug candidates for humans and companion animals, coatings materials for implants, and materials for dental applications. Its high performance nanomaterials have applications in paints, coatings, and the treatment of water and air. The Altair Hydrochloride Pigment process, the first new patented pigment process in 50 years, is an environmentally friendly method for manufacturing white pigment used in paints, paper and plastic. For additional information, visit http://www.altairnano.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements as well as historical information. Forward-looking statements, which are included in accordance with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, may involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the company's actual results and performance in future periods to be materially different from any future results or performance suggested by the forward-looking statements in this release. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, that, in subsequent testing or commercial applications, the company's battery electrode materials and systems will not perform consistent with past test results; that demand for high-power rechargeable batteries for hybrid electrical vehicles, electrical vehicles or other applications will not expand as anticipated; that the company's battery electrode materials and systems will not have characteristics required or desired by producers of hybrid electric vehicles, electrical vehicles and other products potentially using high power rechargeable batteries, including characteristics such as high energy density; that competing battery electrode materials or systems developed, or being developed, by other entities will prove superior to materials or systems being developed by the company, or, for various reasons unrelated to performance, one or more competing technologies will retain or capture dominant market share. In addition, other risks are identified in the company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements found herein to reflect any changes in company expectations or results or any change in events.