We already have a Tesla Wall Connector installed in our garage from about a year ago, and now my wife wants to add another charger on the opposite side. An electrician quoted us $3,500 for a panel upgrade but I'm wondering if that's actually necessary or if we could run both chargers on our existing 200-amp service.
The real question is what amperage your existing charger draws and what your home's actual demand looks like - most residential 200-amp panels can handle a second charger if the first one isn't running at maximum capacity constantly, but that depends on your other household loads and whether both cars would charge simultaneously.
Two Wall Connectors each pulling 48 amps would be tight on 200 amps total, so the electrician's assessment might be right if your household already uses a decent chunk of that capacity for HVAC, water heating, and other appliances.
Before dropping $3,500, get a second opinion from another electrician who can run a load calculation specific to your panel - they'll check your actual usage patterns and tell you whether you can get away with a breaker reconfig or truly need an upgrade.
Your existing 200-amp service might technically handle two chargers if they're not both maxing out simultaneously, but $3,500 for a panel upgrade is actually pretty reasonable when you factor in the breaker, wiring, and labor involved - and it gives you peace of mind plus future flexibility if you want to upgrade charger speeds later. If the electrician pulled permits and did a load calc, they probably know your specific setup better than a quick online check can tell you.
Log into answer.
