Most tire buyers already know that EVs are harder on tires than equivalent petrol cars. Heavier battery packs, the immediacy of electric torque, and the quieter cabin that makes road noise impossible to ignore, all of it puts specific demands on the tire beneath the wheel. What is less well understood is that winter conditions amplify every one of those challenges simultaneously. Cold temperatures reduce battery efficiency and available range before a journey even begins.

Low-grip roads make the instant torque of an electric motor harder to manage safely. And range anxiety, already a factor for many EV drivers, intensifies when the mercury drops. GT Radial's response to this problem is the expansion of its dual EV Ready programme into winter performance tires. Twelve existing sizes from the WinterPro2 evo and WinterPro2 Sport ranges have been selected, engineered to the EV Ready standard, and fitted with the brand's EV Ready sidewall badge, making them the first winter tires in GT Radial's line-up to carry that designation. They are available now across rim diameters from 15 to 19 inches.

Why Winter Is a Specific Problem for Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles lose a meaningful portion of their rated range in cold weather, and the causes are compounding, not singular. Battery chemistry slows at low temperatures, reducing the amount of energy that can be drawn from a fully charged pack. The chemical reactions within a lithium-ion battery at temperatures below freezing can reduce deliverable energy by 25 to 35 percent compared with operation at typical summer temperatures. At the same time, EV heating systems must draw power directly from the battery to warm the cabin, unlike internal combustion vehicles, which use waste heat from the engine. Running the heater in cold weather can consume between 3 and 5 kilowatts continuously, adding a further significant draw on range. Cold air is denser than warm air, which increases aerodynamic drag. And cold tires have higher rolling resistance than warm ones — a real-world study by Vaisala covering twelve months of driving data confirmed that rolling resistance increase from winter conditions, in combination with other factors, can reduce EV range by 20 to 40 percent in typical winter conditions, with extreme cold or heavy snow pushing that figure further.

This is the operating environment into which GT Radial's winter EV Ready tires are being positioned. The requirement is not simply a tire that grips in snow, it is a tire that grips in snow while minimizing the rolling resistance penalty that costs EV drivers range, and that manages the additional weight and torque profile of an electric vehicle without wearing unevenly or transmitting excessive noise into what is, by definition, a quiet cabin. That combination of requirements is genuinely more demanding than designing either a winter tire or an EV tire in isolation, which is exactly why GT Radial's development team at the European R&D Centre in Hannover, Germany approached the EV Ready winter selection with specific optimization criteria rather than simply applying a badge to existing stock.

The Dual EV Strategy: Where the Winter Expansion Fits

To understand the significance of this expansion, it helps to go back to June 2023, when GT Radial first announced what it called its dual electric vehicle approach to the tire market, a strategy described by Stefan Fischer, Managing Director for Product Technology at Giti Tire Europe at the time, as a genuine game changer. The dual approach has two distinct components that work together rather than competing with each other.

The first component is the GT Radial SportActive 2 EV, a tire engineered from the ground up exclusively for electric vehicles, featuring a new Ultra Low Rolling Resistance (ULRR) compound that delivers up to 15 percent lower rolling resistance compared to a standard UHP tire. Launched initially in three sizes covering 18 to 20 inch rims, the 19 and 20 inch versions achieved AAA EU label ratings. The SportActive 2 EV was designed around the weight and torque profiles of high-demand EVs including the Tesla Model 3 and the Kia EV6, and incorporated a 4 percent reduction in tire weight compared to the standard construction while maintaining wet and dry grip performance.

The second component, and the one that the winter expansion now extends, is the EV Ready designation applied to existing GT Radial tires that have been validated for use across every major powertrain type: internal combustion engine vehicles, mild hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and full battery electric vehicles. When the dual strategy launched in 2023, 16 sizes across the SportActive 2 and FE2 summer tire portfolios were given the EV Ready badge and the six-year R&D programme behind the strategy was made public. The programme had been intentionally designed so that these tires would be ready for EV use before the EV strategy was formally announced, they were engineered for all drivetrains from the start, with the badge added to confirm what the engineering already supported.

Since that launch, the EV Ready roster has grown steadily. The summer portfolio now includes the SportActive 2 EV, the SportActive 2, and the FE2 along with the newly launched SportActive 2 evo and FE2 evo, which bring evo compound upgrades delivering 2 to 9 percent improvements in wet and dry braking and handling, with the SportActive 2 evo ranking eighth overall in the AutoBild 2026 Summer Tyre Test and earning the lowest road noise score on test, a result that is especially relevant for EV drivers. The addition of 12 winter sizes represents the first time the dual EV strategy has been taken into a seasonal product category, which means GT Radial's EV Ready offering now covers a driver's tire needs across the full calendar year.

The WinterPro2 Evo: The Mainstream Winter Tier

The WinterPro2 evo was introduced ahead of the 2023/24 winter season as the successor to the well-established WinterPro2. It replaced the previous model's compound with a new formulation that delivers an 8 percent improvement in wet braking, a 5 percent improvement in wet handling, and a 3 to 4 percent improvement in dry handling, all without affecting the snow and ice performance that the WinterPro2 had built its reputation on. The WinterPro2 evo is available in 44 sizes in its full range, covering rim diameters from 13 to 17 inches, section widths from 155 to 245, and series sizes from 50 to 80.

Its design centres on a directional tread pattern with multi-sipes, two sipe styles at alternating depths that increase the number of biting edges available for grip on snow-covered roads while maintaining structural integrity as the tread wears. The directional pattern also channels water and slush efficiently away from the contact patch to reduce aquaplaning risk. The compound incorporates silica and nanoscopic carbon black to improve winter performance and lower rolling resistance, which is directly relevant to its EV Ready selection. For EV drivers, lower rolling resistance in a winter tire is not a marginal benefit, it directly extends the range available from a battery that is already operating under thermal stress.

The WinterPro2 evo is positioned for passenger cars and smaller CUV and SUV vehicles, the mainstream volume end of the European winter tire market. The 12 EV Ready sizes within this range have been specifically selected to cover the 15 to 19 inch fitments most commonly required across the models of EV and hybrid vehicles that independent garages are now being asked to service regularly.

The WinterPro2 Sport: For High-Powered Cars and Premium SUVs

The WinterPro2 Sport addresses a different buyer and a different vehicle. It is designed for drivers of high-powered passenger cars and premium SUVs who require genuine winter capability without surrendering the sporty handling character they expect from their vehicles in warmer months. Where the WinterPro2 evo is a broad-market solution built for mainstream fitments, the WinterPro2 Sport is targeted at the upper end of the passenger car and SUV segment where performance expectations are higher and where the vehicles themselves, including many premium electric SUVs, are heavier, faster, and more demanding on tire structure.

The WinterPro2 Sport carries an EU label of C in rolling resistance and B in wet grip across its independently tested sizes. At a tested price point around €168 per tire in some European markets, it is positioned to deliver the winter safety credentials that drivers of premium vehicles require, at a price point that represents genuine value against the premium tier. For EV drivers in this segment, which includes a growing number of premium electric SUVs with high kerb weights and significant torque output, a tire that balances winter grip with rolling resistance management and structural durability under high-load cornering is exactly what the EV Ready designation is intended to validate.

What EV Ready Actually Means on a Winter Tire

The EV Ready badge is not a marketing label applied without engineering basis. For a winter tire to carry it, the tire must be validated for use across ICE, MHEV, PHEV, and BEV vehicles, which requires meeting specific performance criteria across compound characteristics, load rating, and rolling resistance that go beyond the requirements of a standard winter tire certification. The selection of the 12 specific sizes from the WinterPro2 evo and WinterPro2 Sport ranges was made at GT Radial's European R&D Centre in Hannover based on which sizes fulfil the differing performance requirements of both EV and ICE vehicles. Not all sizes in either range qualify, because EV-specific requirements around load index, torque management, and rolling resistance optimisation do not apply uniformly across every dimension.

What the badge communicates at the point of sale is straightforward and deliberate: a customer buying a tire with the EV Ready sidewall logo knows immediately that it has been validated for their vehicle type, without needing to cross-reference technical specifications or ask the counter staff to confirm compatibility. This is the simplification that Brian McDermott, PCR Sales Director Europe for Giti Tire, described as making dealers' lives significantly easier, particularly at the point of sale where speed and clarity directly affect customer confidence and purchasing decisions. Every GT Radial stockist carrying the EV Ready winter range benefits from a product identification system that removes the compatibility guesswork from the winter changeover conversation, which for many independent garages happens at high volume across a compressed seasonal window.

A Full-Year EV Ready Offering

The practical significance of bringing winter tires into the EV Ready programme is that GT Radial can now support an EV driver's complete tire lifecycle with validated, clearly identified products across every season. In summer, the SportActive 2 EV provides the dedicated EV-engineered option, while the SportActive 2 evo, SportActive 2, and FE2 evo carry the EV Ready designation for broader fitment coverage across ICE, hybrid, and electric vehicles. In winter, the WinterPro2 evo covers mainstream passenger cars and CUVs, and the WinterPro2 Sport addresses high-powered cars and premium SUVs, both with EV Ready validation across the selected 12 sizes from 15 to 19 inch rims.

For a dealership or independent garage that stocks GT Radial, this creates a coherent product story that can be told consistently to EV and hybrid customers across both seasonal changeover periods. The customer who asks whether the winter tire they are being fitted with is suitable for their electric car receives a clear answer from a visible sidewall marking, backed by the engineering validation that went into selecting it. That clarity of communication, from R&D decision to sidewall logo to the service counter, is the point at which a product strategy becomes a practical retail tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which GT Radial winter tires now carry the EV Ready badge?

Twelve sizes from the WinterPro2 evo and WinterPro2 Sport have been selected and validated to carry the EV Ready sidewall designation. These sizes cover rim diameters from 15 to 19 inches and were specifically chosen to fulfil the performance requirements of both electric vehicle and internal combustion engine fitments.

What does EV Ready mean on a GT Radial tire?

The EV Ready designation confirms that the tire has been validated for use across ICE, mild hybrid (MHEV), plug-in hybrid (PHEV), and full battery electric vehicle (BEV) powertrains. It indicates that the tire meets the compound, load, rolling resistance, and structural requirements relevant to EV-specific demands including higher vehicle weight and immediate torque delivery.

What is the difference between the WinterPro2 evo and the WinterPro2 Sport?

The WinterPro2 evo is designed for mainstream passenger cars and smaller CUV and SUV vehicles, available in 44 sizes from 13 to 17 inch rims. It replaced the WinterPro2 with an improved compound delivering 8 percent better wet braking, 5 percent better wet handling, and 3 to 4 percent better dry handling. The WinterPro2 Sport is designed for drivers of high-powered passenger cars and premium SUVs who require winter safety alongside retained sporty handling characteristics.

When did GT Radial first launch its dual EV strategy?

GT Radial announced its dual electric vehicle strategy in June 2023, following a six-year R&D programme at the European Research and Development Centre in Hannover, Germany. The strategy launched with the GT Radial SportActive 2 EV a tire built exclusively for EVs, alongside 16 EV Ready sizes across the SportActive 2 and FE2 summer ranges. The winter expansion with 12 WinterPro2 evo and WinterPro2 Sport sizes is the first time the EV Ready designation has been extended to a seasonal winter product.

Does the WinterPro2 evo carry any independent test results?

The WinterPro2 evo was independently tested in the AutoBild winter tire test 2024 in size 205/55 R16, where it ranked third of 55 tires tested. It has also been evaluated in the ADAC winter tire test and by multiple independent tire review publications. Its compound improvements over the original WinterPro2 deliver measurable gains in wet and dry performance without reducing snow and ice capability.

Where are these tires designed?

The WinterPro2 evo, WinterPro2 Sport, and the GT Radial dual EV strategy as a whole were designed and engineered at Giti Tire's European Research and Development Centre in Hannover, Germany. GT Radial is manufactured by Giti Tire, one of the largest tire companies in the world by volume and revenue, holding OEM supply relationships with vehicle manufacturers including Citroën, Peugeot, and Dacia.

The Bottom Line

Winter conditions are where the specific challenges of EV ownership converge most acutely. Range drops due to battery chemistry, cabin heating draws further power from an already stressed pack, and low-grip roads create situations where immediate electric torque needs careful management to stay safe. The tire is the point where all of those forces meet the road — and a tire that has been specifically selected and validated to address all of them simultaneously represents a materially different proposition from a generic winter tire that happens to fit the rim.

GT Radial's dual EV strategy, which began in June 2023 with a six-year R&D programme behind it, has consistently moved toward the point where every seasonal tire need of an EV driver can be met with a product that has been engineered and validated for that purpose. The addition of 12 winter EV Ready sizes from the WinterPro2 evo and WinterPro2 Sport takes the strategy into the one season where the stakes for getting the tire choice right are highest.

To find EV Ready winter tires for your vehicle, use the Tire Finder at gtradial.com or speak to your nearest GT Radial Performance Centre.