You’ve likely noticed that every vehicle tire has a lot of information on its sidewall, including an alphanumeric code in large print. One of the numbers in that code is the load index, which refers to how much weight that tire can bear when properly inflated. In general, the bigger the tire, the heavier the load the tire could support. Before EVs, XL tires, which means “extra load,” were usually enough to handle the job rather than SL (standard load) or LL (light load) tires used on smaller vehicles.
With the advent of electric vehicles, tires with a higher load rating are becoming more common. EVs are getting heavier, especially as automakers focus on extending the range of an electric car. Getting farther on a single charge requires a larger battery and batteries are heavy, particularly when it comes to the newer ultra-long range vehicles and the premium segment.
Such developments have pushed tire manufacturers to rethink how tires carry loads, and a lot of research and development has gone into developing new construction techniques as well as using new materials and compounds. The result is a new generation of tires with a new tire rating, HL for high load, which indicates a tire that has been engineered to retain the same relative size of a passenger vehicle tire but carry a heavier load. The standard was adopted in Europe in 2021 and in the US in 2023. The new concept will allow vehicle manufacturers to stay with current tire sizes without increasing the wheel size.
Michelin High Load Capacity tires are available as original equipment on an increasing number of vehicles. If your vehicle was originally equipped with HL tires and the time comes to replace them, you should use tires with the HL rating or a load index no less than the original tire. EV light-trucks are also sometimes come fitted with "light-truck metric" tires, rated LT, which have been designed for load-hauling vehicles or vehicles with trailers, such as pickup trucks, SUVs, and vans.
On average, vehicle tires that carry the new HL rating are able to shoulder more weight than a tire of the same size in the XL category. This extra lifting power is important when an already heavy electric vehicle is carrying four to five passengers, luggage or even heavier contents. Tires for electric vehicles with a higher load capacity mean that the vehicle is operating safely with enough reserve to handle the weight and whatever or whoever it is carrying.
