The way I interpret that link to Octopus' website is simply that they over an off peak tariff to charge your EV at the best times for them, probably whenever there is excess electricity available. It does not say anything about using the EVs as storage. The "virtual powerplant" seems to be just a PR gimmick, which Octopus is very good at.
In amy case, that does not solve the issue of overall production or grid capacity.
> In amy case, that does not solve the issue of overall production or grid capacity.
Actually that could have done well (although I wouldn’t hold my breath + all sorts of logistics of reality can prevent the utility). If you have 100 MWh of car batteries charging during off peak, that’s extra capacity you can leverage during peak hours.
I do agree that in practice that won’t work out for all sorts of reasons (the comms and standards for that aren’t defined afaik + what happens if enough cars disconnect that suddenly you don’t have enough capacity and brownouts begin to shed load)
In amy case, that does not solve the issue of overall production or grid capacity.