Coulombic efficiency and capacity retention are some of the main issues with alloy anodes in lithium-ion batteries, and the use of electrolyte additives is a viable approach to overcome these problems. Accordingly, the effects of three electrolyte additives, viz., vinylene carbonate (VC), fluoroethylene carbonate (FEC), and vinylethylene carbonate (VEC), on the performance of a promising alloy anode material Cu2Sb-Al2O3-C have been investigated. With an aim to rapidly assess the effects of the electrolyte additives, symmetric cells fabricated with Cu2Sb-Al2O3-C were used. Symmetric cell testing showed results similar to those of conventional half-cell testing in as little as one-fifth of the time, illustrating that symmetric cell testing is a valuable tool for optimization the performance of battery materials. Among the various additives and concentrations investigated, 2% VEC was found to offer the best cell performance with the Cu2Sb-Al2O3-C nanocomposite anode. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.