March was a very regular month for me with the Tesla Model 3 Long Range. The car went out every single day, adding up to 211 trips and 2491 km in total. A good moment to calmly show what living with a Tesla in an apartment block really looks like, without home charging and without idealising everyday life with an electric car.
Daily driving without a break
In March the Tesla was used for 31 days in a row. Total driving time came to 48.6 hours, and the average speed for the whole month was 37 km/h. That shows well that this wasn't a month dominated by one long trip, but by normal, everyday use: town, short runs, errands and a few longer stretches.
The busiest day was 28 March. That day added up to as much as 238.7 km in 15 trips, including a run to Warsaw, to Ostrobramska, and back. The longest single trip of the month, meanwhile, was 61.8 km — from Mińsk Mazowiecki to Warsaw, to Koszykowa.
In practice, March was fairly even. Weekdays accounted for 1496 km, about 60% of the total distance, and weekends added another 991 km. It's one of those months that show well that a Tesla in an apartment block doesn't have to be a car "for special occasions". It can simply do its job every day.
Energy consumption in March
Average energy consumption was 187 Wh/km at an average outside temperature of 10.4°C. In my experience that's a pretty reasonable result for March, a transitional month between winter and spring.
The comparison between colder and warmer days is interesting too. At temperatures below 5°C average consumption was 189 Wh/km, and on days above 15°C it was 191 Wh/km. At first glance that might seem surprising, but in practice it makes sense. Warmer days more often included faster stretches on expressways, and that can push consumption up more than the temperature alone brings it down.
Worth knowing: weather matters, but it's not the only factor. Driving style and type of route often affect the result just as much.
What charging looked like without my own wallbox
In March there were 21 charging sessions, and a total of 536.2 kWh of energy went into the battery. Total charging time was 52 hours. That shows well the scale of using the car when you don't have your own charging point by your apartment block.
Slow charging had the biggest share — 11 sessions and 341.2 kWh, about 64% of all energy - over 46h of charging during working hours. It's exactly this kind of charging that helps most with everyday EV use without a house with a garage. In my case these were most often the locations at Żegańska 1 and Warszawska 63.
There were also two charging sessions at the Supercharger on Al. Krakowska 51 in Warsaw. Interestingly, both turned out to be free. Altogether that added 81.7 kWh at no extra cost. Of course that's not something worth building a whole monthly plan around, but it makes a nice difference in the final tally.
The remaining sessions were at DC fast chargers — 8 sessions and 113.4 kWh. These chargers have their advantages, especially when you need to get range back quickly, but they're usually more expensive than calmer charging in the background of everyday duties.
Running costs
The total cost of charging in March was 995.73 PLN. The average energy cost came out at 1.86 PLN per kWh, and the cost of driving 100 km was 34.80 PLN. With mostly public charging, this is a result worth showing honestly: still reasonable, but without claiming that an EV always brings huge savings.
For comparison, driving the same distance in a combustion car using 7 litres per 100 km, with fuel at about 6.50 PLN per litre, would have cost about 1134 PLN. So the difference is roughly 138 PLN in the Tesla's favour.
It's not a spectacular advantage, but months like this are exactly the most valuable. They show real-world use, not an ideal scenario with charging only at home or only from a very cheap energy source. When you live in an apartment block, the final result depends above all on where and when you can charge the car.
What this month showed in practice
First, a Tesla used in an apartment block can easily handle an intensive month. If the car was driven every day and did almost 2500 km, it means that with well-organised habits you can manage without your own home charging.
Second, the mix of charging sessions matters a lot. The more calm, cheaper charging you do while at work or running daily errands, the better the final cost looks. Fast chargers are very useful, but they work best as a supplement.
Third, looking at temperature alone says little. In real-world use, routes, driving pace and whether the month includes more town or more expressway driving are just as important.
March summary
March closed with 2491 km, 21 charging sessions and an average consumption of 187 Wh/km. Energy cost just under 1000 PLN, and the cost of driving 100 km came to around 35 PLN. It was a very "real-life" month: no record-chasing, but with data that shows well the everyday reality of a Tesla used in an apartment block.
With the weather getting warmer and warmer, it will be interesting to compare these results with April. In theory conditions should favour lower consumption, but as usual a lot depends on what the routes and the rhythm of the day look like.