Electrochemical lithation of carbons obtained by the pyrolysis of graphite oxide at various temperatures was carried out by charging the anode of a lithium-ion battery in 1 M LiClO4-propylene carbonate solution. The d(002) values of these carbons varied over a wide range between 0.403 and 0.333 nm, and their hydrogen and oxygen contents were very low. Electrochemical lithiation of carbons formed below 700 degrees C resulted in an X-ray diffraction peak at a very low angle of about 2 theta = 18 degrees when the potential reached 10 mV vs. Li/Li+ during the first charge process. This behavior suggests that lithium species assemble as a bilayer in the gallery of the pyrolytic carbons formed from a graphite oxide. The black color of these lithiated carbons indicated that the carbon-lithium bonding possessed significant covalent character, and this bonding was formed even at 0.6 V vs. Li/Li+. On the other hand, stage one lithium-intercalated carbon was obtained when carbons prepared above 900 degrees C were used as host materials. This leads to reversible intercalation-deintercalation of Li for these samples, and the irreversible capacity was a minimum for the sample obtained at 950 degrees C. A potential plateau at about 0.8 V was observed clearly for carbons obtained above 1000 degrees C and the reversible capacity decreased.