Vanadium dioxide (VO 2 ) materials exhibit significant theoretical specific capacity, which is ascribed to multi-electron transfer reactions and unique tunneled structures. However, the low electronic conductivity and sluggish reaction kinetics of VO 2 have impeded its further development. Hence, in this study, we employed a synergistic strategy of defect engineering and compositing with a calabash carbon matrix to reduce Zn 2+ diffusion barriers and accelerate electron transfer. The VO 2 cathode provided a high specific capacity at a low rate of 303 mA h g -1 at 0.1 A g -1 after 191 cycles, along with good rate performance (168 mA h g -1 at 10 A g -1 ) and satisfactory long-term stability (170 mA h g -1 at 1 A g -1 after 1100 cycles). The exhaustive structural analyses indicated that oxygen vacancies accelerated the Zn 2+ diffusion rate, while a uniform calabash-like hollow carbon matrix improved electronic conductivity during cycling. Moreover, ex-situ measurements demonstrated that during discharge, the composite cathode transformed to layered Zn 3+ x (OH) 2 V 2 O 7 ·2H 2 O, which then facilitated the subsequent intercalation of Zn 2+ . This cooperative strategy advances the practical application of aqueous zinc ion batteries by leveraging vanadium-based electrodes.