Correlating composition and structures with battery performance is key aspect of electrode material design and improvement. Here utilizing in situ open cell transmission electron microscopy, we studied the in situ cycling rate performance of vanadium oxide coated tin dioxide nanowire electrode by tuning the lithiation/delithiation current. In situ results show that the good rate performance of such high capacity compositional material lies in the layered vanadium oxide coating strategy. For cycling at high rate, the layered vanadium oxide also serves as fast ions and electrons transportation route while tin nanoparticles aggregate to the surface with sizes controlled by the coating layer, cycle induced volume change is released to the surface and excellent mechanical tolerance of tin nanoparticle and inner nanowire ensure improved cyclability of the electrode.