<p>The growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) has made efficient heat control of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) a critical engineering challenge. This article covers the battery thermal management system (BTMS) in detail, with a focus on baffle-enhanced air cooling methods. Lithium-ion batteries are quite sensitive to temperature fluctuations, despite their extended lifespan and high energy density. Runaway heat, rapid aging, and decreased efficiency can result from poor thermal management. Active, passive, and hybrid systems are the three main categories into which BTMS technologies fall; each has unique heat removal capabilities, design challenges, and applications. Among these, air-based systems have low heat transfer efficiency but are structurally straightforward and reasonably priced. The addition of baffles to air passages has demonstrated great potential for enhancing temperature uniformity and reducing the battery pack's maximum temperature. Comparisons of baffle-enhanced air cooling, direct and indirect liquid cooling, and PCM-based techniques show that although liquid cooling is better at removing heat, air cooling with optimized airflow paths and geometric adjustments provides a low-maintenance, energy-efficient solution for moderate thermal loads. This paper compiles the latest developments in BTMS architecture, including hybrid approaches, phase-change composites, immersion cooling, and fin designs inspired by biology. Additionally, covered is the function of modeling approaches, particularly CFD and Multiphysics simulations, in system optimization and performance prediction. For the future development of safe, effective, and affordable BTMS technologies that meet the changing needs of high-performance EVs, our work acts as a fundamental reference.</p>