I know of a number of different Internal Combustion Engine car pushers for electric cars.
The idea is that you zip locally around in your electric car. When you need to go out of town, or long distance, you hitch up your gas or diesel car pusher to get you there. Sort of the other way around from the thread starter.
Here is one of many different car pushers people have built.
My motorcycle runs off the same motor that Mike's 5th wheel on his Insight uses.
The first time I pulled away from a stop sign, I also experienced the "baseball pitching machine" effect. I have a new (non-bald) rear tire that I will put on once weather gets nicer.