The present invention provides a lead-acid battery superior in high-efficiency charging characteristic to conventional lead-acid batteries; and a carbon material used in the lead-acid battery, having excellent charge acceptability. That is, the present invention provides a lead-acid battery which uses, as an additive to the anode active material, a simple substance and / or a compound thereof, both having a catalysis for desulfurization or a catalysis for SOx oxidation by adding to or loading on a carbon material such as active carbon, carbon black or the like and thereby has superior high-efficiency charging characteristic and improved charging acceptability. When such a lead-acid battery whose anode contains a carbon material containing or loading thereon the above simple substance and / or compound, is applied to electric cars, various hybrid cars, power storage systems, elevators, electromotive tools and power source systems such as uninterruptible power source, distributed power source and the like, all having high input and output requirements, stable control can be obtained.