A method and apparatus for controlling the charge and discharge currents in a battery (2) as a function of temperature. When a battery (2) is charged or discharged in an environment that approaches its design operating temperature extreme, the currents are reduced to limit self-heating of the battery and thus extend the useful operating environment temperature range. A temperature sensor (18) is coupled to a controller (6) to sense the battery (2) temperature. The temperature information is used to set a suitable charging or discharging current (8). In the illustrative embodiment, the charging current is set to a maximum value when said temperature is lower than a first predetermined threshold value, the maximum value being the battery's maximum specified charging current, and the first predetermined threshold value being the battery's maximum charging temperature.