It depends on what else is already true of the service. If the panel is a fuse box, a problem brand, or already at its rating — or if a kitchen remodel, a heat pump, or a second dwelling will open the wall anyway — doing a coordinated 200-amp heavy-up once is usually cleaner than paying for a charger install now and a service upgrade in two years. If the load calculation or measured demand already shows room for the charger you will actually install, and the panel is in good condition, waiting is a rational choice. Future-proofing is not free, and the dated Angi and Fixr ranges on the cost page are real money.
A useful planning test: run today’s house and the future charger (and any already-decided heat pump or range) through the same calculator sheet. If the future stack only fits at 200 amps, and you are about to pay an electrician to be on site for some other reason, ask for a combined quote. If the future stack still fits the present service at a 32 A setting, you may be buying capacity you will not use.
Do not install a 200-amp-rated cabinet on a 100-amp meter and call the job done — see that mismatch page. If you do upgrade early, have the interior set up so the later EV circuit is an easy add (space, a documented load sheet, and a short path to the parking spot), not a second demolition.
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.