In this work we have investigated lithium ion battery anodes based on Zn2GeO4, which were directly synthesized on 3D Ni foam substrates and were in situ coated with a conductive carbon layer. The hybrid electrodes exhibited outstanding electrochemical performance, including an exceptional long-term cycling stability with reversible discharge capacity of over 1100mAhg−1 obtained after being tested for 1000 cycles at 400mAg−1. This study of hybrid electrodes may present an interesting approach to creating efficient and practical electrodes for energy storage applications.