The DArk Matter Particle Explorer ( DAMPE ) , a space-based high precision cosmic ray detector , has just reported the new measurement of the total electron plus positron energy spectrum up to 4.6 TeV .
A notable feature in the spectrum is the spectral break at \sim 0.9 TeV , with the spectral index softening from -3.1 to -3.9 .
Such a feature is very similar to the knee at the cosmic nuclei energy spectrum .
In this work we propose that the knee-like feature can be explained naturally by assuming that the electrons are accelerated at the supernova remnants ( SNRs ) and released when the SNRs die out with lifetime around 10 ^ { 5 } years .
The cut-off energy of those electrons have already decreased to several TeV due to radiative cooling , which may induce the observed TeV spectral break .
Another possibility is that the break is induced by a single nearby old SNR .
Such a scenario may bring a large electron flux anisotropy that is observable by the future detectors .
We also show that a minor part of electrons escaping during the acceleration in young and nearby SNRs are able to contribute to several TeV or higher energy region of the spectrum .