Physical and electrochemical properties of mixtures of ionic liquids based on saturated ring systems with carbonate based solvents were investigated. The conductivity and electrochemical stability of two series of ionic liquids based on piperidinium and pyrrolidinium cations with tetrafluoroborate and bis(trifluorosulfonylimide) anions were evaluated. The effects of the ionic liquid cation, substituent chain length of the cation function group, and the anion type on conductivity and electrochemical stability as determined by cyclic voltammetry were studied. The conductivity was influenced by the substituent chain length of the ionic liquid cation and the solvent carbonate type, where higher conductivities were observed with shorter substituent chains and EC versus PC. The saturated ring ionic liquid-carbonate mixtures may show particular promise for implementation as battery electrolytes due to notable high voltage stabilities, where stability >5.5 V was maintained in the presence of lithium salt. This study should promote development of future safe, high voltage lithium ion battery systems. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.