This paper investigates the lithium releases in the solar wind as they appear in the measurements of ions and electrons above 20 eV/q and 15 eV, respectively, made with the Max-Planck-Institut f¿r extraterrestrische Physik/University of California, Berkeley, fast three-dimensional plasma instrument on AMPTE/IRM. The dominant effects are the pick up of the newly created Li ions by the solar wind electric field and the heating of electrons. When first observed, the beam of Li ions is substantially broadened, probably as a result of its interaction with the cross-streaming solar wind. Later on, when the Li density has decreased, the Li beam becomes narrower than can be resolved by the instrument. The observed increase of beam energies with time to more than ~1 keV can be directly attributed to the expansion of the lithium atoms with a maximum speed of ~3.8 km/s. Throughout the observations the Li ions move nearly along the electric field direction. This is a result of their large gyroradius. Shortly after the release, while the spacecraft is still within the magnetic cavity, hot (E>70 eV) electrons are observed. Their density and temperature is further enhanced when entering the magnetic field compression region ahead of the cavity, consistent with adiabatic heating. There is no evidence in our data of a shock in the upstream region, nor of reflected solar wind ions.