Advancements in Thermal Management for Electric Vehicles: Strategies, Architectures, and Power Electronics Cooling

Electric vehicles (EVs) represent a key technology for achieving sustainable transportation. However, they face several persistent challenges, including limited driving range, system integration, and energy efficiency constraints. Among these, thermal management is critical for maintaining system reliability, enhancing energy efficiency, and supporting high-performance operation across essential subsystems. This article provides a comprehensive review of thermal management strategies in EVs, focusing on cooling concepts, current limitations, recent research advances, and emerging trends. The review begins by outlining fundamental thermal principles, with emphasis on thermal management in the cabin, battery, and electric motor. Special attention is devoted to power electronics, where the integration of wide-bandgap semiconductors, such as silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN), has introduced new thermal challenges due to higher power densities, greater heat flux, and elevated operating temperatures. In addressing these issues, the review explores the evolution of cooling architectures and identifies critical research gaps. The goal is to show the development of more efficient, compact, and robust thermal management systems for next-generation electric mobility.