I'm all for the modernized "coating" (that JB Quick-Weld would stick worse than tar, for sure), but the rails were used because it allowed the mob to carry the miscreant without touching them (and getting tarred as well) - and said rails were always handy and cheap/disposable.
I just don't see the Chevy Volt as an adequate replacement for a normal vehicle, or even a chunk of lumber. Gotta ponder the "means of conveyance" a bit more here. I was thinking something along the lines of a large catapult, but if the payload adheres you could get an ugly "Wile E. Coyote" result.
I was looking for the most uncomfortable twenty first way to remove overstepping politicians from town. That’s the best I could come up with.