Integrated cooling and thermal runaway mitigation container for pouch battery cells

A method of assembling a pouch battery cell module comprising:

• assembling a battery module container including connecting first, second, third and fourth lateral walls, and non-structural fifth and sixth sides, wherein;
• each of the first through fourth lateral walls defines at least one coolant passage and is characterized by a continuous cross-section including an inner wall having a first thickness and an outer wall having a second thickness;
• the inner wall and the outer wall bracket the at least one of the coolant passages;
• and
• the first thickness is smaller than the second thickness;
• arranging a thermally conductive and compliant material element between a first pouch battery cell and neighboring second pouch battery cell, to generate a pouch battery cell stack;
• and
• arranging the cell stack in the battery module container, such that the first, second, third, and fourth lateral walls provide structural support for the first and second pouch battery cells and direct out of the battery module container debris and gases emitted by at least one of the first and second pouch battery cells undergoing a thermal runaway event and the non-structural fifth and sixth sides configured to eject to an external environment the debris and gases directed by the first through fourth lateral walls.