How to charge two EVs at home

Sixty-eight percent of Americans who currently own a hybrid or battery electric vehicle (EV) say they’re very or somewhat likely to seriously consider another EV the next time they buy a car. That’s great news—but if you’re buying a second EV, will you have to upgrade your EV charger to accommodate two vehicles?

Not necessarily. It’ll depend mainly on how far you expect to drive each car every day, what kind of charger you already have, and what price you’re willing to pay for convenience

Low cost

This is the least exciting option, but often the most practical. If neither of your two EVs will have a high daily mileage, then you can simply take turns charging them with your already installed Level 2 charger. 

In a two-vehicle household, the average daily drive for the household’s most-used car is about 60 miles. A Level 2 charger can replenish that range in two to three hours, and most modern  EVs can travel at least 200 miles on a single charge. If your commute and cars are anywhere near these averages, sharing a single Level 2 charger should work just fine.

You could easily charge on alternate nights even if your average daily driving is around 40 miles per vehicle. Adding back 80 miles of range every other night would only take three to four hours, allowing you to take advantage of lower overnight utility rates as well.

Low cost

If you’ll only occasionally need to charge both vehicles at the same time, you could plug one in with the simple Level 1 charger that came with your car when you need it.

This gives you a convenient way to charge both vehicles at the same time without buying new equipment or making major electrical changes. Just to let you know, the EV on the Level 1 charger will charge very slowly: Level 1 chargers typically add only three to five miles of range per hour, but they can supplement your Level 2 charger when needed.

Mid-range cost

A dual charger is a single box connected to a single electrical circuit, but it has two charging cables so that you can charge two EVs at the same time. These chargers cost a few hundred dollars, but you won’t have to remember to switch the plugs or even move the cars. Many EV charging manufacturers now provide this dual charging feature, making finding equipment that fits your needs easier. 

But what you gain in convenience, you lose in charging speed: Because a dual charger divides the available power between two vehicles, it’ll take twice as long to charge each EV.

Highest cost

If you want a setup that can quickly replenish your EV’s range with a little more flexibility than a dual charger, you can get two separate Level 2 boxes.

One way to do this is to install two chargers on two separate circuits, so that both cars can simultaneously charge at full speed. This often isn’t practical, though: Beyond the high cost to install an entire extra circuit, not all homes have the electrical capacity to support two Level 2 chargers. You might need to upgrade your electrical panel to accommodate all that dedicated EV charging capacity.

Pro tip: If you're installing your first Level 2 charger and think you might add a second EV in the future, consider having a second 240V circuit installed at the same time. This can save on installation costs compared to doing it separately later.

Now that EVs have become more common, many clever workarounds are beginning to emerge for homes with less-than-ideal electrical systems. Power-sharing and load-shedding devices can help you squeeze two separate EV chargers into your home’s electrical system or even the same circuit.

Power-sharing setup

A power-sharing setup allows two EV chargers on a single circuit to communicate with each other and share the available electrical capacity without overloading the circuit (which can be unsafe). 

This differs from a dual charger because it’s not a simple 50/50 power split. If your first car only needs to charge at a trickle, it’ll free up the other plug on the circuit to charge the second car at nearly full speed, up to the limit of where it’s electrically safe. The Tesla Wall Connector is a well-known charger that supports power-sharing arrangements.

Load-balancing system

A load-balancing system is another option (some EV chargers come with one built in). This system monitors your home’s entire electrical use and puts one of the EV chargers at the back of the line. If you’re using so much power at once that the EV charger would trip the breaker, the load shedding device will automatically turn off the EV charger first, allowing the rest of your appliances and electronics to continue running.

Both the circuit-sharing and load-shedding devices cost extra to install, but they’re often less expensive than running a whole extra circuit for a second EV charger, and almost always easier and less expensive than upgrading your home’s panel and electrical service.

You've got options

Going electric with a second vehicle doesn't mean you're locked into an expensive electrical overhaul. The right charging setup depends less on what's theoretically ideal and more on how you actually use your cars. If your daily drives are modest, sharing one charger might be all you need. If you're racking up serious miles across both vehicles, investing in a smarter charging infrastructure now will pay dividends in convenience—and potentially save you from a pricier retrofit down the road.

The good news? Whether you're looking at a simple dual charger or exploring power-sharing technology, the options are more flexible and affordable than ever. And as more households make the switch to multiple EVs, expect even more solutions to emerge. The transition to electric isn't just about the cars—it's about building the infrastructure that makes living with them effortless.