The lithium-ion batteries are widely used for electric vehicles due to high energy density and long cycle life. Since the performance and life of lithium-ion batteries are very sensitive to temperature, it is important to maintain the proper temperature range. In this context, an effective battery thermal management system solution is discussed in this paper. This paper reviews the heat generation phenomena and critical thermal issues of lithium-ion batteries. Then various battery thermal management system studies are comprehensively reviewed and categorized according to thermal cycle options. The battery thermal management system with a vapor compression cycle includes cabin air cooling, second-loop liquid cooling and direct refrigerant two-phase cooling. The battery thermal management system without vapor compression cycle includes phase change material cooling, heat pipe cooling and thermoelectric element cooling. Each battery thermal management system is reviewed in terms of the maximum temperature and maximum temperature difference of the batteries and an effective BTMS that complements the disadvantages of each system is discussed. Lastly, a novel battery thermal management system is proposed to provide an effective thermal management solution for the high energy density lithium-ion batteries.