Tantech Appoints Chief Scientist to Develop Autonomous Driving Technology

LISHUI, China, Nov. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tantech Holdings Ltd. (TANH) ("Tantech" or the "Company"), a leading clean energy company in China, announced today that the Company has appointed Dr. Yonghua Zhu as its Chief Scientist, in a bid to develop its electric vehicle (EV) business. In this capacity, Dr. Zhu will oversee the Company's automotive projects and lead the research and development of autonomous driving technology for smart special-purpose electric vehicles (EVs).

Dr. Zhu has been engaged in wireless transmission technology research and development for over years, and has a proven track record in applying bioengineering and artificial intelligence technology to the automotive sector. His accomplishments include, but not limited to, taking part in formulating the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 214 and obtaining three U.S. patents including one used for testing human reactions to crashes. Dr. Zhu has also been awarded three top prizes for his superior academic work in the automotive field. Since 2015, Dr. Zhu has been participating in developing electric vehicles for Hong Kong, a Special Administrative Region of China. He is currently involved in the development of 19-seat, right-hand-drive electric vans. He is also teaming up with a Taiwan-based company to develop the battery management system for electric vehicles, which will be mainly used in the Hong Kong market.

In his role as Tantech's Chief Scientist, Dr. Zhu will be responsible for building the technology platform for autonomous driving, addressing technical and quality issues, as well as providing guidance for key projects and tasks in all aspects.

Dr. Zhu said that capitalizing on the Company's research resources and R&D strength, Tantech will focus on developing autonomous driving technology in the near future for electric road sweepers and related EVs produced by Suzhou E-Motors, a subsidiary of Tantech. The move will not only help Suzhou E-Motors upgrade products but also build a professional platform to drive innovation for the future.

Mr. Zhengyu Wang, Tantech's Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are delighted to welcome Dr. Zhu to our team. The appointment is in line with the Company's strategy of developing expertise in products and services used for the electric vehicle sector to build a supply chain covering China's entire automotive industry." Mr. Wang added that with the professional team led by Dr. Zhu, the Company can further drive innovation and develop leading products to realize sustainable growth, which is in the best interests of the Company as well as all of its shareholders.

We shall remind investors that the appointment is part of the Company's efforts to build up technical reserves for long-term development, and it is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial performance in the short term.

Dr. Zhu, a Hong Kong resident, was born in 1951. His major research and work experience include:

From September 1986 to September 1988: conducted postdoctoral research at the Department of Automotive Engineering at the Mechanics Institute at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China;

From November 1988 to November 1990: conducted postdoctoral research at the Center for Bioengineering at Wayne State University of the U.S.A.;

From November 1990 to November 1993: appointed as an associate research fellow and associate professor at Wayne State University;

From November 1993 to January 2011: served as the general manager for Asia Pacific at First Technology Safety System Inc. in the U.S.A.;

From March 2012 to December 2016: served as the principal scientist and chief technology officer at Suzhou Automotive Research Institute, Tsinghua University in Suzhou, China;

From January 2017 to August 2017: was the founder and president for First Technology Energy Corporation in Hong Kong.

About Tantech Holdings Ltd.

Established in 2001 and headquartered in Lishui City, Zhejiang Province, China, Tantech Holdings Ltd., together with its subsidiaries, develops and manufactures bamboo-based charcoal products, including a variety of branded consumer products and electric double-layer capacitor ("EDLC") carbon products for industrial energy applications. The Company aims to transform itself from a bamboo-based charcoal products producer to a vertically integrated company along the EDLC Carbon - power battery - specialty new energy vehicle value chain. For more information please visit: http://www.tantechholdings.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, product and service demand and acceptance, changes in technology, economic conditions, the impact of competition and pricing, government regulations, and other risks contained in reports filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All such forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, and whether made by or on behalf of the Company, are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. In addition, the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof.

For more information please contact:

Tantech Holdings Ltd. 
Ms. Ye Ren 
IR Manager 
+86-578-261-2869 
[email protected]

SOURCE Tantech Holdings Ltd.