An official website of the United States government
The research new vehicles data (R-CPI-U-NV) was published from May 2019 to April 2022. This index used data purchased from J.D. Power and included transaction-level new vehicle prices and some detailed vehicle information. Transaction-level data included not just price information but also real-time expenditure data.
The Bureau adopted this index for use in the official CPI-U beginning with April 2022 data released in May 2022.
This research index utilized new methods to calculate an index based on transaction data with real-time expenditure data. The index was calculated outside of the official production system. Additionally, this index differed from the official indexes in scope, formula, and aggregation. Customers should be aware of the caveats and limitations of any of these products they consider using.
The information supplied by Power Information Network, a business division of J.D. Power and Associates (“PIN”) is based on data believed to be reliable but is neither all-inclusive nor guaranteed by PIN. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, specific data points may vary considerably from other information sources. Any opinions expressed herein reflect the judgment of the BLS researchers at this date and are subject to change.
R-CPI-U-NV data were published within three business days following the monthly CPI-U data release until May 2022, when the R-CPI-U-NV methodology was adopted for use in the CPI-U. See the CPI Release Calendar for publication dates.
The experimental new vehicles index methodology factsheet contains a broad overview of the research and information such as sampling and index calculation. Additional information is available in the working paper: “A New Vehicles Transaction Price Index: Offsetting the Effects of Price Discrimination and Product Cycle Bias with a Year-Over-Year Index.”
The Bureau solicited feedback on this index as a replacement for the current new vehicles index. This index was adopted for use in the official CPI beginning with the release of April 2022 data in May 2022.
Last Modified Date: March 13, 2024