In order to develop new type of carbon anode material with high performance, a novel organic carbon material polyacrylonitrile (PAN) hard carbon was prepared by calcination of polypropylene cyanide at 1,050°C. The obtained PAN hard carbon is used as the negative electrode material of lithium ion battery, showing an initial capacity of 343.5 mAh g⁻¹ which is equal to that of graphite electrode (348.6 mAh g⁻¹), and a higher initial coulomb efficiency of 87.9% than that of graphite electrode (84.4%). Moreover, the PAN hard carbon electrode shows superior cycle stability and rate performance at different current rates. The charge capacities are 320.1, 219.0, 212.9, and 123.5 mAh g⁻¹ at current rates of 0.2, 1, 2, and 3 C, with coulombic efficiencies of 98.1, 100.6, 88.1, and 110.0%, respectively, which are higher than those of graphite electrode (83.8, 97.6, 98.8, and 94.1%). In addition, the charging capacity of PAN hard carbon electrode can still remain at 284.3 mAh g⁻¹ (0.2 C after 200 cycles), 226.4 mAh g⁻¹ (1 C after 300 cycles), 149.5 mAh g⁻¹ (2 C after 400 cycles), and 120.0 mAh g⁻¹ (3 C after 100 cycles), with capacity retention rates of 78.2, 111.9, 79.7, and 88.6%, respectively. The capacity and capacity retention rate after cycling are significantly higher than those of graphite electrode, indicating that the PAN hard carbon electrode shows superior rate performance, which would provide a new idea for the development of novel negative electrode material with high performance.