This paper develops a technique for numerically solving hybrid optimal control problems. The theoretical foundation of the approach is a recently developed methodology by S.C. Bengea and R.A. DeCarlo [Optimal control of switching systems, Automatica. A Journal of IFAC 41 (1) (2005) 11–27] for solving switched optimal control problems through embedding. The methodology is extended to incorporate hybrid behavior stemming from autonomous (uncontrolled) switches that results in plant equations with piecewise smooth vector fields. We demonstrate that when the system has no memory, the embedding technique can be used to reduce the hybrid optimal control problem for such systems to the traditional one. In particular, we show that the solution methodology does not require mixed integer programming (MIP) methods, but rather can utilize traditional nonlinear programming techniques such as sequential quadratic programming (SQP). By dramatically reducing the computational complexity over existing approaches, the proposed techniques make optimal control highly appealing for hybrid systems. This appeal is concretely demonstrated in an exhaustive application to a unicycle model that contains both autonomous and controlled switches; optimal and model predictive control solutions are given for two types of models using both a minimum energy and minimum time performance index. Controller performance is evaluated in the presence of a step frictional disturbance and parameter uncertainties which demonstrates the robustness of the controllers.