Here, we report on the electrochemical behavior of layered VOCl material as potential electrode material in rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. Orthorhombic VOCl with a space group of Pmmn was synthesized via a solid-gas reaction. During electrochemical charge and discharge a combination of intercalation and conversion reactions are proposed to take place based on the data collected from a variety of analytical methods such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption near edge spectroscopy (XANES), infrared spectroscopy (IR), Raman spectroscopy and electrochemical methods. The pseudocapacitive contribution to the Li+ storage was identified using a cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. Charge and discharge tests showed that the VOCl electrode can deliver first discharge and recharge capacities of 1228 mAh g(-1) and 759 mAh g(-1) at a current density of 100 mA g(-1), respectively. Even after 120 cycles at 260 mA g(-1) a reversible capacity of 351 mAh g(-1) can be obtained with a high coulombic efficiency (>98%). (C) 2016 The Electrochemical Society. All rights reserved.