Question of the week: Does my electric car require EV-specific tyres?
Fri, 03 Jan 2025
Dear Honest John,
"I have a Seat Mii Electric which requires new tyres. I am being told by tyre suppliers that EVs require special tyres due to the extra weight. Surely the load index in this case 81 and speed rating of H satisfy the requirement?
This is the only information on the existing tyres fitted by the manufacturer other than the size and relatively unimportant wording. There is nothing to suggest they are special for an electric car. Am I being persuaded to buy more expensive tyres than necessary?
- IP
Dear IP,
There is no legal requirement to fit EV-rated tyres to your EV, but they are designed to cope with the greater weight of EVs as well as offering lower rolling resistance to boost range.
Even so, some tyre manufacturers offer EV tyres while others do not, which suggests their regular tyres can cope with the different demands of an EV.
The SEAT Mii Electric weighs around 300kg more than the petrol versions, so there is some additional weight to carry, but the tyre specification supplied by the manufacturer will account for this.
It's also important to recognise that the tyre you choose will depend on what kind of car it is and also what your priorities are in terms of tyre performance - the Mii is a small, economy-minded electric car with a modest range, so a high-grip, high performance tyre is unnecessary and you may want to look for a tyre with low rolling resistance and noise levels.
Ultimately it comes down to personal choice - legally you can fit any type of tyre as long as it meets the dimensions, load and speed rating as specified by the manufacturer.
Can I fit all season tyres with a higher load rating?
