How to Select a Trailer Hitch
Class still matters when a manufacturer publishes a tow rating. When they do not, class mainly describes the receiver you might use for a rack.
Watch on YouTube →Can I Put a Hitch on an EV? (Canada)
Can you put a hitch on an EV in Canada? Sometimes yes — for a bike rack or cargo carrier — and sometimes the honest answer is that CURT does not publish a fitment, or the vehicle has little to no trailer rating. This page is practical, not scare copy. Read the door sticker, know the difference between a receiver and a tow rating, and use the live CURT exclusions we already stock as real examples.
Built for Canadian EV and plug-in shoppers. Free shipping on CURT towing gear from Lots of Parts when the SKU is live on this store.
Driving a regular hybrid instead of a battery EV?
Open the hybrid towing guide.
Only want bikes on the bumper?
Read hitch for bike rack only.
Hub index:
Open the towing guides hub.
Watch these CURT videos first
All four videos are from the official CURT YouTube channel (@curtmfg). They cover hitch class, install habits, wiring, and ball-mount height — the same decisions you still make if your EV is actually rated to tow, or if you are only mounting a rack.
If an embed does not load, use the YouTube link under the card.
CURT Install Techniques
Install habits stay the same. Finish with the sheet for your exact application — EV exclusions live on those sheets.
Watch on YouTube →Trailer Wiring Harness Basics
Relevant when you are actually lighting a trailer. A bike rack alone does not need trailer wiring.
Watch on YouTube →Ball Mount and Trailer Ball
Only needed if you are hitching a trailer that the vehicle is rated to tow. Rack users can skip the ball and use a hitch-mount rack instead.
Watch on YouTube →Receiver versus tow rating
A hitch receiver is a steel tube bolted to the vehicle. A tow rating is the manufacturer published limit for trailer weight and tongue weight. Bolting on a receiver does not create a tow rating that was never in the manual. That is the most important sentence on this page.
Many battery-electric vehicles publish low trailer limits, or none at all. Some still accept a hitch for a bike rack or cargo carrier inside the tongue-weight and accessory guidance the maker publishes. Others have no CURT fitment, or CURT explicitly excludes the EV sibling on a gas or hybrid card. None of that is a provincial legal cutoff we invented — it is vehicle documentation and brand fitment notes.
Start at the door jamb sticker and the owner manual. Look for trailer weight, tongue weight, and any EV-specific notes about towing, regenerative braking, or accessory carriers. If the manual says the vehicle is not rated to tow, treat trailer plans as a no and re-read the bike-rack-only guide before you buy steel.
Real CURT exclusions on this store
We already stock cards that say the quiet part out loud. CURT 11529 for 2018 through 2022 Hyundai Kona excludes EV and N models. CURT 13329 and CURT 12171 for 2017 through 2022 Kia Niro exclude plug-in hybrid and EV models. CURT 13454 for late Ford Escape and Corsair excludes plug-in hybrid on the card we stock. Those are catalogue facts, not scare stories.
If your EV shares a bumper shape with a gas twin, do not assume the hitch is shared. High-voltage components, underbody bracing, and cooling loops change what CURT will certify. When the sheet says excluding EV, believe it.
Related buyers guide
Hyundai Kona hitch guide
Includes the CURT 11529 path and the EV exclusion note for early Kona years.
Related buyers guide
Kia Niro hitch guide
Live CURT 13329 and 12171 with plug-in and EV excluded on both cards.
Related buyers guide
Ford Escape hitch guide
CURT 13454 lists hybrid Escape and excludes plug-in hybrid on the card we stock.
Bike rack versus trailer
Most EV owners who want a hitch are thinking about bikes, not a travel trailer. That is a different job. Tongue weight from a loaded rack still counts against the vehicle, and ground clearance behind a low EV bumper matters on Canadian driveways. Our bike-rack-only guide walks class, tongue weight, and cover-versus-lock habits without pretending every EV can tow.
If you do have a published trailer rating, keep the trailer light, watch range loss, and use proper wiring. Hitch class and vehicle rating both count — the lower number wins. We are not publishing a Canada-wide legal kilogram cutoff for EVs here. Provincial rules still expect you to stay inside the manufacturer numbers and to equip lights and brakes as required for the trailer you actually tow.
In stock on this store
CURT 18085 two-bike tray rack
Hitch-mount tray rack for listed Class 2 and Class 3 receivers. Free shipping on CURT gear from Lots of Parts.
In stock on this store
CURT 18087 four-bike tray rack
Tray-style rack for 2 inch receivers. Confirm your EV even has a CURT hitch fitment first.
| Question | Practical answer on this store |
|---|---|
| Does a hitch create a tow rating? | No. The door sticker and manual still win. |
| Can CURT exclude an EV? | Yes. See Kona 11529 and Niro 13329 or 12171 as live examples. |
| Bike rack only? | Often the realistic use case. Read the bike-rack-only guide and watch tongue weight. |
| Hybrid versus battery EV | Hybrids often have clearer tow notes — use the hybrid towing guide. EVs vary widely. |
| Invented legal cutoff? | None here. Follow manufacturer limits and Canadian equipment rules for your trailer. |
Honest gaps and shopper notes
Fitment
Many EVs have no CURT card
Absence of a listing is information. Do not borrow a gas twin SKU because the badge looks similar.
Use case
Rack first, trailer second
If the manual forbids towing, a receiver is still only useful inside accessory guidance — usually racks and carriers.
Examples
Exclusions we already sell
Kona EV, Niro plug-in and EV, and Escape plug-in notes are live on product cards linked from related guides.
Tone
Honest, not alarmist
EVs are not banned from hitches by default. They are limited by documentation and by what CURT will certify.
Step 1Read the sticker
Door jamb and manual: trailer weight, tongue weight, and any EV notes.
Step 2Search CURT fitment
If the card says excluding EV or has no EV row, stop forcing a gas twin SKU.
Step 3Decide rack or trailer
No tow rating usually means bike rack or cargo only — inside tongue-weight limits.
Step 4Use the related guides
Hybrid guide, bike-rack-only guide, and vehicle guides with live exclusions.
Related guides we do publish
Towing with a hybridHybrid and plug-in Canada honesty
Bike rack onlyWhen you are not towing a trailer
Bike and cargo guideRacks and carriers on a hitch
Kia Niro guideLive plug-in and EV exclusions
Towing guides hubAll vehicle and topic guides
Start with bike-rack-only
Most EV hitch shoppers want bikes, not a trailer. That guide keeps tongue weight and class honest without inventing a tow rating.
Open bike-rack-only guide →Hybrid instead of battery EV? Open towing with a hybrid. Need a tray rack after you confirm fitment? CURT 18085 or CURT 18087.
Lots of Parts · Canada EV hitch honesty that separates receivers from tow ratings, points at live CURT EV exclusions, and links hybrid and bike-rack guides without inventing legal cutoffs.
