Sometimes yes, for the charger. A listed energy management system — including some “smart panels” and evse current-sharing devices — can keep the house from drawing more than the service can carry by slowing or pausing charging when other loads spike. That is already the fork on the load-management-versus-upgrade page. It has to be equipment the authority having jurisdiction will accept (often discussed alongside NEC 625.42 in later code editions). It will not create capacity for a heat pump’s backup strips, an ADU, or a panel that already has a safety problem.
Product names change faster than the electrical question. Ask what the device is listed to do: cap a single EVSE, share current between two chargers, or monitor the service and shed loads in a defined order. Then ask the electrician to show the same load sheet with and without the device, including the operational cost — the car may not charge at full current during dinner and laundry.
A service upgrade costs more (see the dated Angi and Fixr ranges on the 200-amp cost page) but clears room for the next appliance. If the existing service is a fuse box, a Federal Pacific or Zinsco panel, or already trips under ordinary use, energy management is usually the wrong first move. The calculator can also show how much a smaller charger setting would change the raw arithmetic, which is a simpler alternative when overnight miles are modest.
This is not a permit calculation, a utility approval, or a substitute for a licensed electrician, HVAC contractor, or the authority having jurisdiction. Panel Headroom is an independent educational site. It is not a utility, a certification body, or a contractor. Electrical and generator work that is done incorrectly can cause fire, shock, or carbon monoxide poisoning. Use the adopted electrical code and manufacturer instructions; pull permits where required.