The ZnO samples coated with carbon are successfully synthesized by using a high energy ball milling method. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) spectra of the carbon-coated ZnO and pure ZnO show that the carbon-coated ZnO (carbon source: glucose, citric acid) samples and the untreated ZnO sample have similar particle size and crystal form. The particles have prismatic microstructure whose sizes are about 100–200nm. However, the carbon-coated ZnO (carbon source: sucrose) sample has become agglomeration after calcination whose size has been increased to 2–6μm. The uncoated ZnO powders have more complete crystal shape and they are glazed quadrangular materials, while the carbon coated ZnO particles has a rough surface, which resulted from the growth of carbon coating on ZnO particles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of the carbon-coated ZnO and the pure ZnO show carbon formed on the surface of ZnO is amorphous. Tafel plot, cyclic voltammetry (CV), AC impedance spectroscopy and galvanostatic charge–discharge measurement are utilized to examine the electrochemical performances of the carbon-coated ZnO. The carbon-coated ZnO (carbon source: glucose) have the most positive steady-state potential and lowest corrosion current density in the zinc electrodes which indicates that it has a good anticorrosion ability. A lower charge platform and a higher discharge platform of carbon-coated ZnO indicate that it have a better charge/discharge performance as anodic material for Ni/Zn cells. A smaller ohmic resistance and charge-transfer resistance imply that the carbon film upon ZnO could greatly decrease the impedance of the reaction process. Meanwhile, the carbon-coated ZnO also showed more excellent cycling performance than pure ZnO. The reason of improvement about electrochemical performance can be ascribed as the unique structure of amorphous carbon layer.