@@ -2611,7 +2611,7 @@ def get_car_charging_planned(self):
         self.car_charging_exclusive = [False for c in range(self.num_cars)]
 
         self.car_charging_planned_response = [str(response).lower() for response in self.get_arg("car_charging_planned_response", ["yes", "on", "enable", "true"])]
-        self.car_charging_now_response = [str(response).lower() for response in self.get_arg("car_charging_now_response", ["yes", "on", "enable", "true"])]
+        self.car_charging_now_response = [str(response).lower() for response in self.get_arg("car_charging_now_response", ["yes", "on", "enable", "true", "charging"])]
         self.car_charging_from_battery = self.get_arg("car_charging_from_battery")
 
         # Car charging planned sensor
 
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
     "car_charging_battery_size",
 )
 IOG_SENSOR = "binary_sensor.octopus_intelligent_slot_test"
+SAVED_ARGS = ("car_charging_now", "octopus_intelligent_slot", "car_charging_now_response")
 
 
 def _check(name, condition, detail=""):
@@ -377,23 +378,49 @@ def _run_power(my_predbat):
     return failed
 
 
+def _run_default_response(my_predbat):
+    """
+    With car_charging_now_response unset, a charger status sensor reading "Charging" (e.g. a Zappi's
+    plug_status) counts as charging. It did not before (GH#5335), so the Octopus Intelligent check
+    cancelled the car's dispatch while it charged and the house battery lost the dispatch rate.
+    """
+    failed = False
+    print("Test 23: the default car_charging_now_response accepts a charger's Charging status")
+    _car(my_predbat, False)
+    my_predbat.args.pop("car_charging_now_response", None)
+    for state, expected in (("Charging", True), ("EV Connected", False), ("on", True), ("off", False)):
+        _sensor(my_predbat, state)
+        my_predbat.get_car_charging_planned()
+        failed |= _check("t23 cycle {!r}".format(state), my_predbat.car_charging_now == [expected], "now {}".format(my_predbat.car_charging_now))
+        failed |= _check("t23 live {!r}".format(state), my_predbat.car_charging_now_reading(0) is expected, "")
+
+    print("Test 24: a car_charging_now_response set in apps.yaml replaces the default rather than adding to it")
+    my_predbat.args["car_charging_now_response"] = ["yes", "on", "true"]
+    _sensor(my_predbat, "Charging")
+    my_predbat.get_car_charging_planned()
+    failed |= _check("t24 Charging not in the set list", my_predbat.car_charging_now == [False], "now {}".format(my_predbat.car_charging_now))
+    _sensor(my_predbat, None)
+    return failed
+
+
 def test_car_charging_now(my_predbat):
     """
     car_charging_now holds the battery and feeds the model, but never adds a car slot.
     """
     print("*** Running test: car_charging_now")
     saved_state = {field: copy.deepcopy(getattr(my_predbat, field, None)) for field in STATE_FIELDS}
-    saved_args = {key: copy.deepcopy(my_predbat.args[key]) for key in ("car_charging_now", "octopus_intelligent_slot") if key in my_predbat.args}
+    saved_args = {key: copy.deepcopy(my_predbat.args[key]) for key in SAVED_ARGS if key in my_predbat.args}
     try:
         failed = _run_plan(my_predbat)
         failed |= _run_poll(my_predbat)
         failed |= _run_dynamic(my_predbat)
         failed |= _run_iog(my_predbat)
         failed |= _run_power(my_predbat)
+        failed |= _run_default_response(my_predbat)
     finally:
         for field, value in saved_state.items():
             setattr(my_predbat, field, value)
-        for key in ("car_charging_now", "octopus_intelligent_slot"):
+        for key in SAVED_ARGS:
             if key in saved_args:
                 my_predbat.args[key] = saved_args[key]
             else:
 
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ def get_default_config(self):
             "car_charging_exclusive": False,
             "car_charging_from_battery": False,
             "car_charging_planned_response": ["yes", "on", "enable", "true"],
-            "car_charging_now_response": ["yes", "on", "enable", "true"],
+            "car_charging_now_response": ["yes", "on", "enable", "true", "charging"],
             "combine_rate_threshold": 1.0,
             "combine_export_slots": True,
             "combine_charge_slots": True,
 
@@ -2084,7 +2084,7 @@ whether you are within an Octopus Energy "smart charge" slot
 - **car_charging_planned** - Indicates when your EV is plugged in and planned to charge during low-rate slots.
 - **car_charging_planned_response** - Values for the car_charging_planned sensor that indicate that the car is plugged in and will charge in the next low rate slot.
 - **car_charging_now** - Sensor to indicate when the EV is charging, used to hold the house battery for the car. Either an on/off sensor or a charging power sensor (W or kW, 200W or more counts as charging)
-- **car_charging_now_response** - Responses for car_charging_now to indicate that the car is charging
+- **car_charging_now_response** - Responses for car_charging_now to indicate that the car is charging (default `yes`, `on`, `enable`, `true` and `charging`). The sensor state must match one of them, ignoring case
 - **car_charging_battery_size** - Car battery size in kWh
 - **car_charging_limit** - Percentage limit the car is set to charge to
 - **car_charging_soc** - Car's current charge level expressed as a percentage
 
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ The following entries are pre-configured in the `apps.yaml` template:
     - 'yes'
     - 'on'
     - 'true'
+    - 'charging'
 ```
 
 - **car_charging_planned** - Optional, can be set to a Home Assistant sensor (e.g. from your car charger integration) which lets Predbat know the car is plugged in and planned to charge during low-rate slots.
@@ -210,6 +211,8 @@ Leave it commented out if you have no sensor that reports the car actually drawi
 The Ohme (`ohme_automatic`), myenergi Zappi (`myenergi_automatic`) and Predbat gateway integrations set it for you, unless you have set it yourself in `apps.yaml`.
 
 - **car_charging_now_response** - Set to the range of positive responses for car_charging_now to indicate that the car is charging. Useful if you have a sensor for your car charger that isn't binary.
+The sensor's state must match one of these exactly (ignoring case). If unset it defaults to `yes`, `on`, `enable`, `true` and `charging`, which covers on/off sensors and chargers whose status reads `Charging`, such as a myenergi Zappi's plug status.
+If your charger reports something else while charging, add that value here. Otherwise Predbat never sees the car charging, and with Octopus Intelligent it [cancels the car's dispatches](#checking-intelligent-dispatches-against-the-car).
 
 To make Predbat-led car charging more accurate, additionally you can configure the following items in `apps.yaml`:
 
@@ -523,6 +526,18 @@ It can be an on/off sensor (matched against **car_charging_now_response**), or a
     - sensor.wallbox_portal_charging_power
 ```
 
+A status sensor works too, as long as its state while charging is one of the **car_charging_now_response** values. For example a myenergi Zappi's plug status, from the Home Assistant myenergi integration, reads `Charging`, which the default list accepts:
+
+```yaml
+  car_charging_now:
+    - sensor.myenergi_zappi_XXXXXXXX_plug_status
+```
+
+If you set **car_charging_now_response** yourself, keep `charging` in it, and the values your other cars' sensors use: the one list covers every car.
+With `myenergi_automatic`, Predbat already points **car_charging_now** at the Zappi's charging power, so leave it unset.
+
+If the sensor's state never matches, Predbat never sees the car charging, so it cancels every dispatch the car is in, even while the car charges.
+
 Without **car_charging_now**, if your car is inside the CT clamp (**switch.predbat_car_energy_reported_load** On), Predbat uses the house load instead - slower and less certain, as other appliances also move it.
 With neither, nothing is checked.
 
@@ -565,6 +580,14 @@ For example, Octopus dispatches the car from 15:55 to 16:01 but the charger repo
 - Check **switch.predbat_octopus_intelligent_charging** is On, so Predbat builds the car plan from the Octopus dispatches.
 - Look in the log for `Octopus Intelligent: car` lines. If there are none while the car sits idle in a dispatch, the check is not running. Note that the `Dynamic load last period ...` line is written every cycle whatever these settings are, so it does not show the check is running.
 
+**If a dispatch is cancelled while the car is charging**
+
+The log shows `car 0 is in a dispatch but not charging, cancelling its slots` although the car is charging. Predbat is not reading **car_charging_now** as charging:
+
+- Look at the sensor's history in Home Assistant while the car charges. If it shows a status such as `Charging`, check that value is in **car_charging_now_response**. A `car_charging_now_response` list you set in `apps.yaml` replaces the default, so it must include `charging` itself.
+- The log's `Cars ... charging_now [False]` line shows what Predbat made of the sensor each cycle.
+- A charging power sensor (200W or more counts as charging) avoids matching status text altogether.
+
 #### Reading the dispatch timeline in the logs
 
 When Octopus Intelligent charging is active Predbat writes a diagnostic line to the log each cycle
 
@@ -164,11 +164,15 @@ pred_bat:
   #car_charging_now:
   #  - sensor.wallbox_portal_charging_power
 
-  # Positive responses for car_charging_now
+  # Positive responses for car_charging_now, for an on/off or status sensor. Its state must match one
+  # of these (ignoring case) for Predbat to see the car charging - e.g. 'charging' for a myenergi Zappi
+  # plug_status sensor. If it never matches while the car charges, Predbat cancels the car's Octopus Intelligent
+  # dispatches (switch.predbat_octopus_intelligent_dynamic, On by default) and the house battery can lose their cheap rate.
   car_charging_now_response:
     - 'yes'
     - 'on'
     - 'true'
+    - 'charging'
 
   # To make planned car charging more accurate, either using car_charging_planned or the Octopus Energy plugin,
   # specify your battery size in kwh, charge limit % and current car battery soc % sensors/values.
 
@@ -145,11 +145,15 @@ pred_bat:
   #car_charging_now:
   #  - sensor.wallbox_portal_charging_power
 
-  # Positive responses for car_charging_now
+  # Positive responses for car_charging_now, for an on/off or status sensor. Its state must match one
+  # of these (ignoring case) for Predbat to see the car charging - e.g. 'charging' for a myenergi Zappi
+  # plug_status sensor. If it never matches while the car charges, Predbat cancels the car's Octopus Intelligent
+  # dispatches (switch.predbat_octopus_intelligent_dynamic, On by default) and the house battery can lose their cheap rate.
   car_charging_now_response:
     - 'yes'
     - 'on'
     - 'true'
+    - 'charging'
 
   # To make planned car charging more accurate, either using car_charging_planned or the Octopus Energy plugin,
   # specify your battery size in kwh, charge limit % and current car battery soc % sensors/values.
 
@@ -199,11 +199,15 @@ pred_bat:
   #car_charging_now:
   #  - sensor.wallbox_portal_charging_power
 
-  # Positive responses for car_charging_now
+  # Positive responses for car_charging_now, for an on/off or status sensor. Its state must match one
+  # of these (ignoring case) for Predbat to see the car charging - e.g. 'charging' for a myenergi Zappi
+  # plug_status sensor. If it never matches while the car charges, Predbat cancels the car's Octopus Intelligent
+  # dispatches (switch.predbat_octopus_intelligent_dynamic, On by default) and the house battery can lose their cheap rate.
   car_charging_now_response:
     - 'yes'
     - 'on'
     - 'true'
+    - 'charging'
 
   # To make planned car charging more accurate, either using car_charging_planned or the Octopus Energy plugin,
   # specify your battery size in kwh, charge limit % and current car battery soc % sensors/values.
 
@@ -136,11 +136,15 @@ pred_bat:
   #car_charging_now:
   #  - sensor.wallbox_portal_charging_power
 
-  # Positive responses for car_charging_now
+  # Positive responses for car_charging_now, for an on/off or status sensor. Its state must match one
+  # of these (ignoring case) for Predbat to see the car charging - e.g. 'charging' for a myenergi Zappi
+  # plug_status sensor. If it never matches while the car charges, Predbat cancels the car's Octopus Intelligent
+  # dispatches (switch.predbat_octopus_intelligent_dynamic, On by default) and the house battery can lose their cheap rate.
   car_charging_now_response:
     - 'yes'
     - 'on'
     - 'true'
+    - 'charging'
 
   # To make planned car charging more accurate, either using car_charging_planned or the Octopus Energy plugin,
   # specify your battery size in kwh, charge limit % and current car battery soc % sensors/values.
 
@@ -160,11 +160,15 @@ pred_bat:
   #car_charging_now:
   #  - sensor.wallbox_portal_charging_power
 
-  # Positive responses for car_charging_now
+  # Positive responses for car_charging_now, for an on/off or status sensor. Its state must match one
+  # of these (ignoring case) for Predbat to see the car charging - e.g. 'charging' for a myenergi Zappi
+  # plug_status sensor. If it never matches while the car charges, Predbat cancels the car's Octopus Intelligent
+  # dispatches (switch.predbat_octopus_intelligent_dynamic, On by default) and the house battery can lose their cheap rate.
   car_charging_now_response:
     - 'yes'
     - 'on'
     - 'true'
+    - 'charging'
 
   # To make planned car charging more accurate, either using car_charging_planned or the Octopus Energy plugin,
   # specify your battery size in kwh, charge limit % and current car battery soc % sensors/values.