The Optare Alero was a low-floor integral minibus built by Optare between 2001 and 2008. It was built as an alternative to van-derived buses such as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. Around 300 were built in the first five years of production. The primary markets for the Alero have been community transport groups and rural demand responsive bus routes, such as Hampshire's Cango. The Alero was relaunched in 2006 as the Alero Plus. Various changes and component upgrades have been made in an attempt to overcome reliability and durability issues suffered by the original design.