NOVELTY - Lithium ion battery positive electrode material comprises an active composition comprising lithium metal oxide coated with an inorganic coating composition that comprises a metal chloride, metal bromide and/or metal iodide.    USE - The lithium ion battery positive electrode material is useful in: positive electrode of lithium ion battery (claimed); rechargeable batteries (mobile communication devices e.g. phones, mobile entertainment devices (MP3 players), portable computers, transportation devices e.g. automobiles and fork lifts); and batteries for vehicle applications (e.g. battery packs for hybrid vehicles).    ADVANTAGE - The electrode material utilizing coating composition: prevents potential unwanted side reactions, which leads to capacity fade, thus enhancing electrode-electrolyte interface and reducing fade with cycling; suppresses manganese and other transition metal dissolution, thus increasing specific discharge capacity within low amounts (less than 1 mole%) at high rates and reducing first cycle irreversible capacity which lead to improved overall energy density and long term cycling performance of battery; enhances electrochemical, thermal and structural properties of cathode; enhances first cycle efficiency, high voltage operation, cycle life, true density and greater rate capability of battery; exhibits large specific discharge capacity on cycling, thus high specific capacity can be exploited for a significant number of cycles; decreases irreversible capacity loss and improves cycle life of batteries; exhibits specific capacity, tap density and cycling that provide improved performance for consumers for medium current applications; provides battery pack that yields a desired amount of total power in reasonable volume and that achieves excellent cycling performance; and provides excellent specific capacities, cycling and average voltages to battery.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) making the positive electrode material coated with a metal/metalloid non-fluoride halide, comprising either: (a) combining a soluble metal salt, a soluble non-fluoride halide compound and lithium metal oxide particles in solution to precipitate metal halide as a coating on the metal oxide particles and (b) calcining the coated metal oxide particles in a substantially oxygen free atmosphere at 200-800 degrees C for 1-25 hours to form the metal/metalloid non-fluoride halide coated lithium metal oxide positive electrode material, where the non-fluoride halide comprises chloride, bromide and/or iodide; or milling a powder of the positive electrode material with a selected amount of the powder of the metal/metalloid halide to coat the positive electrode material with the metal/metalloid halide; and    (2) a lithium ion battery (100) comprising a positive electrode (104), a negative electrode (102) containing a lithium incorporation composition, a separator (106) between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, and an electrolyte containing lithium ions, where the positive electrode comprises an active material, distinct electrically conductive powders, and a polymer binder, where the positive electrode active material comprises the active composition, and the positive electrode active material has an average voltage of at least 3.65 volts over a discharge from 4.5-2 volts at a rate of C/10 and a specific discharge specific capacity of at least 160 mAh/g at cycle 500 at a discharge rate of C/3 from 4.5-2 volts.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a schematic drawing of the lithium ion battery structure separated from a container.    Lithium ion battery (100)    Negative electrode (102)    Positive electrode (104)    Separator (106)    Current collectors (108)