Guides · Field note
Why an EV truck winter tire must be LT Load Range E
Electric trucks look like the petrol pickups they replace. They are not the same weight. Battery packs push curb weight and GVWR well above a comparable gas twin, so a tire that would be fine on a normal half-ton can be under-specced on the EV in the same marked size. Winter shopping is where that trap shows up most often: drivers search the size numbers and get offered the cheaper passenger construction.
A real example (SPEC)
One truck priced this week — a GMC Sierra EV Denali (Standard Range figures from published vehicle-spec sources) — carries roughly:
- GVWR 9,900 lb
- Curb weight 7,573 lb
- Payload 2,250 lb
Factory rubber on that platform is light-truck construction at Load Range E: LT275/50R24 on the 24-inch wheels, or LT265/70R18 (10-ply, Load Range E) on the 18-inch option. Those letters are the load story. The size string alone is not.
The trap: same size, different construction
265/70R18 is also sold as a 116T standard-load passenger tire. Same numbers on the sidewall. Completely different construction, different capacity. A driver searching that size online will see both. The cheaper listing is usually the passenger version.
What to check: the letters, not just the numbers. You want LT at the front and Load Range E — not merely the right size.
Mounting a passenger tire of that size on a truck built around LT Load Range E is not a style choice. It is an under-specced tire on a heavy vehicle.
Overall height when you drop to 18-inch winters (MEASURED)
Moving from the 24-inch factory set to an 18-inch winter set also changes rolling diameter:
- 275/50R24 ≈ 34.8 in overall diameter
- 265/70R18 ≈ 32.6 in overall diameter
- About 6.4% shorter
The speedometer reads a little high and the range estimate drifts. That is geometry, not a software glitch. Matching-height winter sizes that would close the gap — sizes such as 285/75R18 or 305/70R18 — were checked against three national suppliers for this truck and were not available as winter rubber. Operators fitting winters on these trucks accept the shorter diameter when they step down to 18-inch LT Load Range E tires that actually carry the load.
Wheel swaps (FORUM only)
Owner forums report that Hummer EV 18×9 ET33 wheels fit Silverado EV / Sierra EV trucks. That is forum reporting, not a manufacturer fitment statement. Verify against your own vehicle, bolt pattern, offset, and load rating before you buy wheels or assume a swap.
What this means on a driveway
When a customer asks for winters on an EV truck, the first question is not “do we have 265/70R18 in stock.” It is whether the tire is LT and Load Range E (or whatever the door placard and OEM option list require). Size alone is how people buy the wrong construction. Height mismatch on a wheel-down winter set is a separate, measured trade-off — disclose the speedo and range drift rather than promising a perfect match that suppliers do not stock.
Those figures are labelled SPEC, MEASURED, or FORUM below. This page is not a registry rule and not a verification of any operator. Check the door placard and the vehicle maker’s tire option list for the truck in front of you.
Sources
- SPEC — GMC Sierra EV Denali Standard Range: GVWR 9,900 lb, curb 7,573 lb, payload 2,250 lb (Kelley Blue Book dimensions / capacities). https://www.kbb.com/gmc/sierra-ev/2026/denali-standard-range/
- SPEC — Factory tire size LT275/50R24 on Sierra EV Denali Extended Range listings (Auto123 / GM option language). https://www.auto123.ca/en-ca/showroom/gmc/sierra-ev/gmc-sierra-ev-2026-denali-autonomie-prolongee-cabine-multiplace-e4rm-471582
- SPEC — Factory 18-inch option cited in field notes for this quote: LT265/70R18, 10-ply, Load Range E (OEM / vehicle-spec sources used for the live customer quote; confirm on the door placard for the truck you are fitting).
- MEASURED — Overall diameters ≈ 34.8 in (275/50R24) and ≈ 32.6 in (265/70R18); ~6.4% shorter. Standard size geometry used for the quote, not a lab measurement of one mounted set.
- MEASURED — Winter availability: three national suppliers checked for matching-height winters (285/75R18, 305/70R18) for this platform — none stocked as winter rubber at the time of the quote.
- FORUM — Hummer EV 18×9 ET33 reported to fit Silverado/Sierra EV. Owner reports only; verify on your vehicle.
Questions that come up
Why isn’t the size number enough?
Because 265/70R18 exists as both an LT Load Range E light-truck tire and a 116T passenger tire. Same size string, different construction and capacity. EV trucks in this weight class need the LT Load Range E construction the factory specifies.
Will 18-inch winters throw off the speedometer?
Yes, if you drop from a ~34.8 in 275/50R24 to a ~32.6 in 265/70R18. That is about 6.4% shorter (MEASURED geometry). Expect speedo and range-estimate drift. Matching-height winter sizes were not available from the three national suppliers checked for this truck.
Can I use Hummer EV wheels on a Sierra EV?
Forum owners report Hummer EV 18×9 ET33 wheels fit Silverado/Sierra EV. That is FORUM only — not a GM fitment sheet. Confirm bolt pattern, offset, hub bore, and load rating on your truck before buying.
Is this only about GMC?
The Sierra EV Denali numbers are the worked example. The same load-rating trap applies wherever an EV truck shares a size string with lighter passenger tires but needs LT construction at a higher load range. Always read the door placard.