*5.3. Optimal Control*

There is tight integration between the physical design and an element's control from a dynamics perspective. A sequential design process is often used to design the physical system, which is followed by control-system design [125]. In EREVs, we need to know the functions of all components and their interactions to generate the best possible control systems. The simulations are important because they predict system behavior given the specifications provided. However, a simulation can also be used for the inverse task: identifying system specifications that produce the desired behavior.
