Ternary host-guest nanocomposite based on vanadium oxide and two polymers with different types of conductivity (ionic and electronic) - polypyrrole (PPy) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) - is prepared by solventless mechanochemical synthesis. The nanocomposite can be reversibly cycled with a specific capacity of similar to 200 mA h g(-1) for at least one hundred cycles of full charge-discharge as the active component of the positive electrode of lithium batteries. Electrochemical performance of ternary PPy0.1PEO0.15V2O5 is compared with two-component analog PPy0.1V2O5. The presence of macromolecules of an ion-conducting polymer in the composition of the ternary nanocomposite PPy0.1PEO0.15V2O5 promotes interfacial transfer of lithium ions and also facilitates faster transport inside the particles of the nanocomposite. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.