ALBANY, NY – Hybrid-powered cars will be allowed to use high-occupancy-vehicle (HOV) lanes on the Long Island Expressway starting Mar. 1, regardless of how many people are in the car, according to the New York Times. The proposal is part of a range of energy initiatives announced last month as part of Gov. Pataki’s proposed budget, which includes tax breaks for hybrid vehicles and alternative fuels. Hybrids can also qualify for federal tax breaks, according to the report. However, only those hybrids that get at least 45 miles per gallon in highway driving, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency in its testing laboratories, will be permitted in the HOV lanes. The restriction was instituted to avoid hybrids overcrowding HOV lanes, which has happened in the state of Virginia.