The use of graphite-type materials as the negative electrodes for rechargeable lithium batteries is increasing. For graphite-type materials, we proposed the intercalation mechanism taking into account the influence of crystallite size and stacking of the graphitic layers. We found graphite-type materials with a reversible capacity of 430 mAh g(-1) over a theoretical limit capacity of 372 mAh g(-1). This higher capacity is due to cavities existing in carbon that are capable of storing lithium ions.