The invention provides an electrolyte additive. The electrolyte additive comprises a maleimide derivative, a bismaleimide derivative or a combination of the maleimide derivative and the bismaleimide derivative, wherein the structural formulas of the maleimide derivative and the bismaleimide derivative are respectively shown as specifications; R1 and R2 are selected from a hydrogen atom and a halogen atom; R3 can be selected from a silicon-containing radical, a nitrogen-containing radical, a fluorine-containing radical, a phosphorus-containing radical and an ethylnenoxy-containing repeated unit. The invention further provides an electrolyte containing the additive and a lithium ion battery containing the additive.