Thermal implications related to heat generation and potential temperature excursions during operation in lithium-ion batteries are of critical importance for electric vehicle safety, performance and life. Concurrently, appropriate thermal management strategies for lithium-ion batteries are crucial to maintain cell temperatures within a desired range. Different battery thermal management strategies have been proposed, each with various advantages and disadvantages depending on the applications. This work proposes the use of nanofluids, colloidal suspensions of nanoparticles in a base fluid, as a heat transfer fluid for active thermal management. To analyze the efficacy of nanofluids for thermal management in lithium-ion batteries, different nanofluids and their effect on the temperature distribution within typical battery modules are investigated for two different flow configurations. In particular, the study is focused on battery performance, heat dissipation capability under high discharge rates and ambient temperatures, and design considerations relevant to electric vehicle applications. This study underscores the potential of this innovative thermal management technique toward effective thermal safety without performance penalty of lithium-ion batteries for vehicle electrification. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.