Carbon coated spherical Na2FePO4F particles with typical diameters from 500 nm to 1 μm have been synthesized through an economical carbothermal reduction method with a simple apparatus. Mixed carbon source consists of citric acid and phenolic resin can form highly graphitized carbon and remarkably improve the electrical conductivity. When cycled against lithium, Na2FePO4F/C cathodes deliver maximum discharge capacity of 119 mAh g−1 at a low rate of 0.05 C. Reversible capacity of 110 mAh g−1, 74 mAh g−1 and 52 mAh g−1 can be obtained at 0.1 C, 1 C and 2 C rates, respectively. And after 30 cycles at 0.1 C, 91% of the discharge capacity can still be maintained. The electrochemical kinetic characteristic of electrode material is investigated by EIS and the apparent Li+ diffusion coefficient in the Li/Na2FePO4F system is evaluated to be as high as 1.152 × 10−11 cm2 s−1. This study demonstrates that the practical and economical synthesis process can be a promising way for industrial production of high performance Na2FePO4F/C electrode material for large-scale lithium ion batteries.