A system and method for charging a battery in a plug-in electric vehicle. In an exemplary embodiment, the present method uses a charging profile and a scheduled departure time to develop a charging scheme for a plug-in electric vehicle that balances battery life with electricity costs. The charging scheme attempts to reduce the amount of time at which the battery is maintained at elevated state-of-charge (SOC) levels before a scheduled departure time, while still satisfying the electricity rate preferences established by the user. Reduced time spent at elevated SOC levels can, over the long term, improve battery life by increasing the capacity and performance of the battery.