Plugged in car is not detected (using OCPP integration)

[ppmt]

I think I have configured Predbat correctly to charge my car but I am hitting a wall.

As yo can see from the log below it doesn't seem to detect that my car is plugged in.

35889	2025-10-17 18:15:02.146397: Car 0 charging is not planned as it is not plugged in
35880	2025-10-17 18:15:01.679643: Cars: SoC kWh: [0.0] Charge limit [60.39] plan time ['07:00:00'] battery size [61.0]
35872	2025-10-17 18:15:00.463032: Cars 1 charging from battery False planned [False], charging_now [False] smart [False], max_price [0.0], plan_time ['07:00:00'], battery size [61.0], limit [60.39], rate [7.4], exclusive [True]
35871	2025-10-17 18:15:00.462525: Configuration: forecast_hours 48 num_cars 1 debug enable is False calculate_plan_every 10
35818	2025-10-17 18:12:38.153979: CAR0: [ 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
35808	2025-10-17 18:12:38.050955: CAR0: [ 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
35798	2025-10-17 18:12:37.950628: CAR0: [ 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]
35787	2025-10-17 18:12:37.711298: CAR0: [ 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.0]

Here is what I set up for my car in the apps.yaml

  car_charging_energy: sensor.ev_charger_energy_session

  # Defines the number of cars modelled by the system, set to 0 for no car
  num_cars: 1

  # car_charging_planned is set to a sensor which when positive indicates the car will charged in the upcoming low rate slots
  # This should not be needed if you use Intelligent Octopus slots which will take priority if enabled
  # The list of possible values is in car_charging_planned_response
  # Auto matches Zappi and Wallbox, or change it for your own
  # One entry per car
  car_charging_planned:
    - sensor.ev_charger_status_connector
  #   - 're:(sensor.wallbox_portal_status_description|sensor.myenergi_zappi_[0-9a-z]+_plug_status)'

  car_charging_planned_response: "Preparing"
    #- 'yes'
    #- 'on'
    #- 'true'
    #- 'connected'
    #- 'ev connected'
    #- 'charging'
    #- 'paused'
    #- 'waiting for car demand'
    #- 'waiting for ev'
    #- 'scheduled'
    #- 'enabled'
    #- 'latched'
    #- 'locked'
    #- 'plugged in'

  # In some cases car planning is difficult (e.g. Ohme with Intelligent doesn't report slots)
  # The car charging now can be set to a sensor to indicate the car is charging and to plan
  # for it to charge during this 30 minute slot
  # SELF Not to be used if Predbat is in charge of charging the car
  #car_charging_now:
  #  - switch.ev_charger_charge_control

  # Positive responses for car_charging_now
  #car_charging_now_response:
  #   - 'yes'
  #  - "on"
  #   - 'true'

  # 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.
  # If you have Intelligent Octopus the battery size and limit will be extracted from the Octopus Energy plugin directly.
  # Set the car SOC% if you have it to give an accurate forecast of the cars battery levels.
  # One entry per car if you have multiple cars.
  car_charging_battery_size:
    - 61.0
  car_charging_limit:
    - 99.0
  #  - 're:number.tsunami_charge_limit'
  #car_charging_soc:
  #  - 're:sensor.tsunami_battery'

  # One per car, when true only one car can charge at once, when False multiple cars can charge at once
  car_charging_exclusive:
    - True

So when I plugged the car in, sensor.ev_charger_status_connector change to Preparing. But Predbat is not able to match it apparently.
I checked in the Developer/State in HomeAssistant and Preparing is the state that is really reported.

Am I missing something?

[gcoan]

Rather than:

  car_charging_planned_response: "Preparing"
    #- 'yes'
    #- 'on'

have you tried formatting this as it originally was in apps.yaml, i.e.

  car_charging_planned_response:
    - Preparing
    #- 'yes'
    #- 'on'

I suspect your (non) indentation and double quotes are the problem

[ppmt]

Well the sensor that I am supposed to use to indicate that the car is plugged in doesn't work with Predbat and I can't see what I am doing wrong.
I will persist and if I find a solution I will definitely report.

I was hoping that I was not the only one using that OCPP integration.

[gcoan]

Well the sensor that I am supposed to use to indicate that the car is plugged in doesn't work with Predbat and I can't see what I am doing wrong.

I will persist and if I find a solution I will definitely report.

I was hoping that I was not the only one using that OCPP integration.

You could always create a template sensor using the values from the switch

but if predbat seems to work with the switch and the value "on", then use that. What I was saying was that at least 1 other inverter (hypervolt) doesn't use a sensor, it uses a binary_sensor, so using a switch could well work (as your tests suggested it was)

[ppmt]

I would if it was a possibility. That switch is deprecated. In the past it used to be on when the car was unplugged and off when the car was plugged. Now it is always on even when the car is plugged in.

I will will try to create a template from the sensor so that it is either on or off rather Preparing.

Actually I think it is the Preparing state that PredBat doesn't like. I changed the state of the sensor to on in the developer section and then a few minutes later it decided to activate the charge of the car.

[gcoan]

"Preparing" state

are you absolutely sure that this is the actual sensor state?

The reason I ask is that on HA dashboards and the entity view, HA will capitalise sensor states

Only if you look in developer tools/state will you see the actual value

I wouldn't mind betting that the state value is "preparing"

[ppmt]

I thought about it as well (I actually saw a post with a similar problem), but after checking it seems that the state is really "Preparing"

It seems that Predbat just doesn't like Preparing for some reason.

[ppmt]

Just a quick update. I have solved my issue by going around it. I still don't know why Preparing state is not recognised but it now works for me.
I will write down what I did and can share it here if anyone is interested.

As a side note I found a small mistake in the documentation (I think!).

https://springfall2008.github.io/batpred/car-charging/#example-ev-and-charger-setup

in that section it asked to create a helper called "input_number.car_max_charge" and to assign kWh as unit. It then associate that sensor with "car_charging_limit" which is %
So I think the helper should be created with % as unit

[gcoan]

thanks for spotting this, the documentation is incorrect, the UoM should be '%'

I have corrected it now and it will be in my next PR

Geoffrey

[ppmt]

If I write a document explaining what I did to fix my problem, how should I share it ?
I am quite happy with what I did and hopefully it will help others...assuming my car charges successfully later tonight :D

[gcoan]

you can paste it here and I will reformat/merge it into the documentation

in a similar way to the other EV charger descriptions https://springfall2008.github.io/batpred/devices/ if you can detail the integration, any specific settings to make in the integration, what to set in apps.yaml for the predbat car controls, and any other predbat entity values or helpers you needed to create to get it working

thanks

[ppmt]

Yes I was going to base myself on the MG4 example ( I own an MG5!). I will also make it multi car as we have 2 EVs.

thanks a lot for your help