An in situ polymerization assisted fast sol-gel method was introduced to synthesize high performance Li3V2PO4/C (LVP/C) cathode material. The crystal structure, surface morphology and electrochemical performances of the LVP/C samples sintered at different temperatures were investigated. The composite sintered at 750 degrees C exhibits the highest specific discharge capacity of 119.02 mAh g(-1) (440.35 Wh g(-1)) at 10 C rate. The Li+ diffusion coefficient ranges from 10(-6) to 10(-8) cm(2) s(-1) based on different scanning rates and the electronic conductivity is about 10(-5) S cm(-1). For comparison, an ex situ polymerization method was also employed to obtain the LVP/C composite. A novel charge/discharge testing mode was designed to investigate the electrochemical behavior of the as-prepared LVP/C composite for practical application in electric vehicle cells. The obtained high power density and the special testing mode prove the LVP/C composite would be a promising candidate for the electric vehicle application and deserves further investigation. (c) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.