A review on thermal management of battery packs for electric vehicles

The development of efficient Electric Vehicles (EVs) is related to the management of different parts of the powertrain, as the Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. An important feature which affects their safety, performance, and useful life is the average temperature which must be included in an optimal range to prevent several dangerous phenomena. For this reason, Thermal Management Systems (TMSs) of battery packs of EVs are necessary to guarantee correct functioning in all environments and operating conditions. This review has the intention to divulge the recent developments in the thermal management of Li-ion batteries of EVs reached by researchers and car manufacturers to compare academic studies to the state of the art of the automotive industry from a thermal engineering point of view. Several experimental and numerical studies published in literature have been reported, and nine EV models have been analysed to explain how car manufacturers have developed their new models launched on the market. The choice of the models has been made since the quantity and the quality of data available on the official sites of manufacturers and specialist journals. In conclusion, the future perspectives of thermal management of battery packs are resumed to understand which path research and car manufacturers are following for the next generation of EVs.