1. A method for characterizing performance loss of a battery or battery cell undergoing at least one arbitrary aging condition, the method comprising: loading, with a processor, known baseline aging data for a battery or battery cell having an aging profile for at least one known baseline aging condition over time; determining, with the processor, baseline rate expression model parameters from the baseline aging data for the battery or battery cell; receiving, at the processor, additional aging data associated with the battery or battery cell undergoing different arbitrary aging conditions over successive time periods, each of the different arbitrary aging conditions having an unknown consequence that differs from the at least one known baseline aging condition used for the known baseline aging data; determining, with the processor, rate expression model parameters for each of the different arbitrary aging conditions and related time interval within the additional aging data; determining, with the processor, previously unknown performance loss due to aging of the battery or battery cell over time utilizing the rate expression model parameters associated with the battery or battery cell undergoing the different arbitrary aging conditions using a differential deviation-from-baseline approach from the baseline rate expression model parameters; predicting an aging progression based on the determined previously unknown performance loss; and controlling operation of the battery or battery cell dynamically in real time responsive to the predicted aging progression.