What you are describing is a car with electric motors mounted on each wheel. Not a new idea.

Regenerative brakes are in production already. When you have those, one motor is all you need.

it's amazing how many people don't know that an electric motor is just magnets attracting and repelling in a circle.

There has been a 4 motor vehical invented. One motor for each wheel, but it is too expensive and impractical at this time. Also, you can never have a one to one ratio of energy expended and energy regenerated. That is called perpetual motion. However, electric cars are using their brakes to regenerate some power that is lost during driving when they are braking.

They're called "hubmotors."

They aren't used much in motor vehicles because they add a lot of unsprung weight, which is a bad thing.

Better to have the electric motor securely mounted to the chassis, driving the wheel through a conventional drivetrain.

I think I understand what you are describing. Some sort of way to propel the two front or rear wheels electromagnatically while at the same time recharging the battery and running the electronics using whichever wheels are remaining to do so. I have been tinking of this sort of an idea all weekend long and wish I knew enough about it to test it. And you are right, you would not need brakes for the same principle behind moving the wheels would apply to stopping it. Just in the opposite direction. And you wouldn't need a constant flow of electricity, just a small amount at intervals. Nor would you need a gas engine.