Thermal management systems for lithium-ion batteries based on the cooling and heating of phase change materials have become a popular research topic. However, the low thermal conductivity, flame resistance, high and low temperature adaptability of phase change materials, as well as the thermal runaway mechanisms and lightweight design of phase change material-based systems remain to be explored. The aim of this paper is to conduct a publication-wide macro bibliometric review on thermal management systems for lithium-ion batteries based on phase change material to date. Total of 583 associated publications were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database for the period 2006–2022. A bibliometric study was conducted through the visualization software VOSviewer. The findings were derived from annual publication trends, geographical and institutional distribution, authors and their collaborative networks, keyword network analysis and analysis of highly cited publications as well as reference co-citation analysis. The findings provide a comprehensive overview of the evolution of research hotspots in the field and can help researchers who would like to work in the field to quickly grasp the research frontiers and the overall picture. Furthermore, some suggestions for future work are summarized.