Toyota lets AI loose on hunt for cheaper fuel cells

SAN FRANCISCO – Toyota Motor Corp. is betting the keys to longer-range electric cars and cheaper fuel cells may lie in machines that act like humans. The carmaker's Toyota Research Institute is pledging $35 million over the next four years toward putting artificial intelligence to work on identifying new materials that can be used in batteries or catalysts that power hydrogen-fueled cars. Using AI and machine learning will expedite development by a magnitude of years, according to the company. "We want to accelerate the rate at which we can design or discover new materials for fuel cells and batteries," Eric Krotkov, chief operating officer of TRI, said in a phone interview. Faster discoveries of advanced materials will support Toyota's broader goal of ridding 90 percent of carbon emissions from its vehicles by 2050.