A battery pack air cooling structure and method having a thermoelectric element are provided. The structure includes a housing having a cooling passageway through which a refrigerant passes and a plurality of cell module assemblies that are disposed inside the housing and each include a pair of unit cells stacked parallel to each other. A heat transfer plate is interposed between the pair of unit cells. A heat pipe has a first portion disposed in the heat transfer plate and protrudes second portion that protrudes out of the heat transfer plate. A heat-exchanging member formed at the second portion of the heat pipe and is configured to perform heat-exchange with air that passes through the cooling passageway; and a thermoelectric element is formed at an upstream side into which air of the cooling passageway is injected.