Lead-acid　battery　(LAB)　has　been　in　widespread　use　for　many　years　due　to　its　mature　technology,　abound　raw　materials,　low　cost,　high　safety,　and　high　efficiency　of　recycling.　However,　the　irreversible　sulfation　in　the　negative　electrode　becomes　one　of　the　key　issues　for　its　further　development　and　application.　Lead-carbon　battery　(LCB)　is　evolved　from　LAB　by　adding　different　kinds　of　carbon　materials　in　the　negative　electrode,　and　it　has　effectively　suppressed　the　problem　of　negative　irreversible　sulfation　of　traditional　LAB.　Different　carbon　materials　play　different　roles　in　LCB,　including　construction　of　conductive　network,　double-layer　capacitance　storage　effect,　formation　of　porous　structure　and　steric　effect.　Moreover,　research　on　composite　material　additives　(such　as　Pb-C　composite　materials　and　polymer-C　composite　materials)　and　Pb-C　composite　electrode　have　become　a　research　focus　in　the　past　few　years;　it　has　been　another　effective　way　to　improve　the　performance　of　the　negative　electrode.　On　the　other　hand,　due　to　the　relatively　low　overpotential　of　carbon　materials,　the　hydrogen　evolution　reaction　(HER)　will　be　aggravated　in　LCB,　which　affects　its　electrochemical　performance.　It　is　necessary　to　modify　carbon　additives　or　add　other　additives　to　inhibit　the　HER.　This　paper　will　attempt　to　summarize　the　roles　of　carbon　additives　in　the　negative　electrode　made　by　previous　research　and　illustrate　the　effect　of　composite　material　additives　and　Pb-C　composite　electrode　on　the　negative　electrode.　Moreover,　we　will　also　sum　up　the　method　for　solving　the　HER　by　reviewing　previous　research.