In a rebuttal to Ford's claim as the environmentally friendly automaker and its announcement to increase the fuel economy of its SUVs, GM Vice Chairman Harry Pearce announces GM will begin building a version of its Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra full-size pickups in 2004 that are powered by a gas-electric hybrid system. Pearce says the new hybrid pickup will improve the fuel economy by 15% but keep the same performance of today's V8.

Pearce also says GM will be using cylinder shutoff systems throughout its truck lineup. Called Displacement on Demand, the system cuts off fuel to half of a V8's cylinders while the vehicle is at cruising speed.