Next‐GenerationBattery Thermal Management: The Material Revolution, Intelligent Control, and Sustainable Development

Lithium‐ion battery thermal management systems (BTMS) are critical for safety, longevity, and performance, yet existing reviews typically treat material innovations, control algorithms, and sustainability as separate topics. This article presents a systematic review that integrates these three dimensions and critically examines the inherent contradictions within each. Analyzing literature from 2010 to 2024, we identify two key trade‐offs: (i) between thermal conductivity and latent heat in phase change materials (PCMs) and (ii) between “black‐box” speed and physical interpretability in artificial intelligence (AI)‐driven control. We show that while high‐thermal‐conductivity composites and AI‐based predictive models can accelerate thermal runaway prediction by orders of magnitude, practical deployment remains limited by unresolved material incompatibilities, the lack of standardized multiphysics modeling protocols, and insufficient experimental validation of virtual data. Unlike prior reviews that focus on single technologies, this work provides an integrated, critical roadmap that bridges material science, control theory, and environmental sustainability. Future directions emphasize balancing property trade‐offs (e.g., gradient conductivity designs, multifunctional polymer skeletons), validating AI models with physical benchmarks, and designing recyclable, bio‐based BTMS materials to meet carbon neutrality goals.