Batteries for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles are charged between uses to restore energy to the battery for the next use cycle. A vehicle may be connected to a charger that is connected to a power source. The charger is controlled to provide voltage and current to the battery to restore energy to the battery. Different charging strategies are utilized to charge the battery in the vehicle. Present charging strategies charge the battery to a full charge level when the charger is connected. Some charging strategies may delay the onset of charging until electricity rates are cheaper.