Optare Alero
Encyclopedia
The Optare
Optare
Optare plc is a bus manufacturer and importer based in Leeds and Blackburn, UK. The company operates from three main business units, Bus Manufacturing, Coach Sales and Unitec....

 Alero
was a low-floor
Low-floor bus
A low-floor bus is a bus that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. Being low floor improves the accessibility of the bus for the public, particularly the elderly or infirm, or those with push chairs, and increasingly, those in wheelchairs.In the modern...

 integral minibus built by Optare
Optare
Optare plc is a bus manufacturer and importer based in Leeds and Blackburn, UK. The company operates from three main business units, Bus Manufacturing, Coach Sales and Unitec....

 between 2001 and 2008. It was built as an alternative to van-derived buses such as the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
Mercedes-Benz Sprinter
The Mercedes-Benz Sprinter is a light and heavy commercial vehicle, built by Daimler AG of Stuttgart, Germany as a van, chassis cab and minibus, and sold as a Mercedes model, except in the U.S. where it is built from complete knock down kits and was sold by Freightliner until 2010 when Mercedes...

.

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
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...

's Cango
Cango
Cango is a demand responsive transport bus operator in Hampshire, UK, owned by Hampshire County Council. The services operate in the localities around main towns, using Optare Solo and Optare Alero buses.-Background:Cango services do not use set routes...

.

The Alero has an Iveco engine and a choice of manual or automatic ZF transmission. It typically seats between twelve and sixteen passengers, capacity being partly dependent upon whether space is provided for a wheelchair. The destination display box is optional.

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.

In 2008, the Alero was discontinued. However, Optare have stated that they will continue to offer after sales support.

External links

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