The period from 1 January to 5 February 2026 can safely be called a "proper" winter. Temperatures regularly dropped to -10°C, and there were days at -20°C too. It's a good moment to check, through the numbers and everyday use, how the Tesla copes in such conditions – especially when you live in an apartment block and rely solely on public charging.
The numbers for this period
- Distance driven: 3190 km
- Energy used: 678 kWh
- Average energy cost: 1.47 PLN/kWh
Based on that, it works out to:
- Average consumption: 21.3 kWh / 100 km
- Average cost of driving 100 km: approx. 31.3 PLN
These are typical winter figures, in hard frosts and without any special "eco-driving".
Driving and comfort in winter
Despite the low temperatures, the car drives without any problems. There wasn't a single situation where it wouldn't start, charge or function normally.
To be fair, though, the heating works hard. At temperatures of -10°C or -20°C, keeping the cabin comfortable has a clear impact on energy consumption.
On the other hand, the comfort pays off. There were times at -20°C when I got in and out of the car in just a hoodie, no jacket, completely relaxed. Sometimes I'd catch surprised looks from passers-by — especially when it was properly wintry outside, while inside it was simply warm and normal.
In practice
From my experience:
- in winter you have to reckon with higher energy consumption,
- the Tesla remains a fully usable car, even in hard frosts,
- not having home charging doesn't rule out comfortable use — it just takes some planning.
It's one of those things worth knowing before you buy, especially if you live in an apartment block. Winter puts theory to the test very quickly, and that theory — at least in my case — holds up pretty reasonably.