Vehicle battery with cell balancing current paths and method of charging the same

A vehicle battery and charging method that may be used to balance cell voltages during a battery charging operation, and may do so in a way that protects the individual cells from over-charging and improves the overall efficiency of the operation. According to one example, the vehicle battery includes a number of cell-balancing current paths, each of which is connected in parallel to an individual battery cell and can shunt or bypass the corresponding cell when its voltage exceeds some maximum amount. This may enable under-charged battery cells to be charged at the same time that over-charged battery cells are bypassed. Each of the cell-balancing current paths may include a series-connected electronic switch and zener diode combination, where the electronic switch is controlled by a battery control module so that cell-balancing can be enabled during a battery charging operation and disabled at other times.