anyone running direct drive?

I am not because I haven't built my EV yet. However I have been doing a lot of research into because I think it has some advantages. However, I do not think that you would be successful attaching a motor directly to a VW half shaft. You will need some sort of gear reduction. My current thought is to attach a motor (or two) to the pinion of a IRS differential. I will likely use a sequential belt. This will allow it to be fairly compact and the motors do not have to travel with the suspension causing a lot of unsprung weight.

Get one from an existing car. 4wd Honda CV, Ford Escape, Isuzu Rodeo are some examples. The hot rodder favorite is one out of a Jaguar XJ12. It has it's own cage so everything comes out in one complete unit. The disc brakes also are attached to the half shafts on the differential side which further decreases unsprung weight (but makes maintenance a PITA).
IIRC the Isuzu has an aluminum housing for the Dana 44 differential which would work fairly well in a medium powered EV.